PAP leader confident: Erecting statue of Christ on Mount Hatis to  give new impetus to Armenia`s development

ArmInfo. The implementation of the project to erect the statue of Christ on Mount Hatis will contribute to the creation of new jobs and give new impetus to Armenia's development. This was stated by Prosperous Armenia Party  (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan at a meeting with residents of the  villages of Nor Gyugh, Kotayk, and Kaputan in Armenia's Kotayk  Province as part of the election campaign for the upcoming June  elections.

The PAP leader told community residents that he receives  numerous calls from around the world asking when the statue will be  unveiled. He is confident that its unveiling will resolve the lack of  jobs, and not just in this particular region of the country. "Even  those who left Armenia in search of work will return. Moreover, this  project will benefit not only a specific region in Armenia, but the  entire country. We have capable and talented young people, and it is  our duty to create conditions so that they can see their future  here," Tsarukyan is confident.

Regarding citizens' concerns regarding the so-called peace process  with Azerbaijan and the ongoing destruction of cultural heritage in  Artsakh, the PAP leader noted that Azerbaijan has occupied Armenian  territories, Armenian prisoners of war are being held in Baku, and  there are ongoing claims about the "return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis to  Armenia." "The country needs peace, with guarantors like China, for  example. These should not be agreements that remain in the air,"  Tsarukyan noted.

The PAP leader also touched on the issue of reforming the Armenian  Armed Forces in this vein, expressing his conviction that the right  solution for the country would be to create a professional army, with  10,000 contract soldiers serving as primary service personnel,  instead of sending 18-year-old conscripts to the border.

As a reminder, Tsarukyan announced his intention to erect a statue of  Christ in the country in January 2022.  A competition was announced  at the same time, resulting in the selection of the current design,  which was planned to be completed within three years. In early July  of that year, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the monument's  installation. In addition to the Armenian Apostolic Church, the  Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Education, Science,  Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia also opposed the  project.

The basis for this position was the lack of a professional opinion on  the project, as well as the presence of an ancient fortress-fortress  from the Bronze and Iron Ages on the mountain. It is expected to be  the largest monument dedicated to Christ. A road and a 5-kilometer  cable car will be built to the monument, and hotels, cafes,  restaurants, and other amenities will appear at the foot of the  mountain.