Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended an official dinner held as part of the Armenia’s second Prayer Breakfast, bringing together senior officials, state representatives, diplomats, business leaders and religious figures from Armenia and abroad.
Among those attending and delivering remarks were Riley Barnes, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Asif Mahmood, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and Stepan Sargsyan, President of the NGO Spiritual Club of Secular People.
The dinner opened with a prayer delivered by Archbishop Gevorg Noradounkian, the Armenian Catholic leader for Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe.
Addressing the gathering, Pashinyan said he viewed the Prayer Breakfast as a format where people could speak freely about God, their spiritual beliefs and personal experiences.
The Prime Minister also recalled his visit to the United States in February 2024 and his participation in the National Prayer Breakfast. He spoke about an unplanned meeting with then-U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House.
According to Pashinyan, during the meeting, his American counterparts asked how realistic it was to establish peace in the region.
“I said I cannot say how realistic it is, but I can say that I believe in peace,” Pashinyan recalled.
He said the conversation subsequently had an important impact on the development of events in the region.
Pashinyan also highlighted U.S. President Donald Trump’s support for the peace process, saying that Trump’s personal involvement and contribution had been crucial.
“Without his personal involvement and personal contribution, we could not have come this far, and this is very important,” the Armenian Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan further emphasized the importance of not giving in to despair despite difficulties and challenges. He said that, in his view, losing hope means losing faith in God, while faith in God means refusing to despair.
The Prime Minister concluded his remarks with Psalm 29, known as a prayer of thanksgiving.
The Prayer Breakfast is a two-day independent international event initiated by civil society. It focuses on prayer, faith, leadership, religious freedom, peace and Armenia’s future, while providing a platform for dialogue and cooperation among representatives of different political, national, denominational and religious communities.
