Summing up the year, Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan expressed confidence that the Armenian Apostolic Church, “thanks to its strong traditions and greatness,” will overcome the current challenges and continue to serve as a vital unifying center for the global Armenian community.

Reflecting on 2025, Tsarukyan described it as a difficult year. “In our thoughts, we carried the plight of our honorable compatriots still in captivity, who unfortunately remain far from home,” he wrote on Facebook.

“We must remember them every second to make their freedom a reality,” he stressed.

He also highlighted the hardships faced by the people of Artsakh this year, noting that he and his team did their best to help address their issues, and pledged continued support in the coming year.

Tsarukyan spoke about the ongoing “Proposal to Armenia” initiative, which he said has already gained momentum across different regions and communities of the country.

“We’ve received thousands of inspiring suggestions from towns and villages, across all sectors and social layers. These can be summed up in the following key points:

• National unity
• Real peace
• Rejection of defeatism
• New people, new ideas, new air
• Non-partisan teams and competent leadership
• Just governance, just state
• Large-scale, reliable economic projects
• Protected businesses
• Confident development of rural areas
• Healthy generation
• United fight against the evil of drug addiction,” he wrote.

He announced that from the start of the new year, they will begin developing and publishing new proposals that, he believes, will significantly improve the national climate and the people’s well-being.

“As the greatest wish for the coming year, I want to wish us internal peace and public harmony. Our homeland has already suffered enough, and it’s crucial to unite all our physical and spiritual strength to begin rebuilding and reviving our country in the new year,” Tsarukyan wrote.

*On December 18, ten bishops who had met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and called for Catholicos Karekin II’s resignation made a brief statement in Etchmiadzin before departing quickly. Meanwhile, a liturgy was taking place inside the Mother Cathedral, attended by the Catholicos.

“Another attempt to undermine Holy Etchmiadzin was made today, sadly with the involvement of some of our own clergy. But the faithful remain unshaken and fearless. The noise being stirred within the Church cannot disrupt our mission or our plans, which aim to bring glory to our Church and strengthen our country,” said Karekin II.*