Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

CONFERENCE “INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND PEACE ” SEPTEMBER 9-10, 2021

A conference on International Religious Freedom and Peace has been convened with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. The Conference will be hosted by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin from 9 to 10 September 2021.

Access to places of worship in conflict zones, protecting religious and ethnic minorities, and preserving cultural heritage, are just some of the topics that will be addressed.

During the 2020 war perpetrated by Azerbaijan, the Republic of Artsakh has seen large swathes of its land being taken over by Azerbaijan. Concerns have been raised over the ability of Armenians to access historic monasteries and churches for worship and there are fears for the preservation of thousands of Armenian churches, historical monuments, and archeological sites located in the occupied areas.

This conference will bring together high-ranking religious leaders with renowned scholars and experts from around the globe to consider issues related to the international religious freedom and preservation of the world’s spiritual, cultural and historical heritage, which all too often comes under threat from ethnic and religious intolerance, especially during wars and armed conflict.

The aspiration of the conference is to create of recommendations for international religious freedom and cultural preservation that can be applied globally.