Yerevan Hosts Second Annual Prayer Breakfast Gathering

YEREVAN — The evening program of the “Prayer Breakfast 2026” gathering was held in Yerevan, bringing together more than 300 high-ranking officials, government representatives, diplomats, business leaders and religious figures from Armenia and abroad.

The event, held in Yerevan for the second time, was organized by the Spiritual Club of Lay People NGO. It aims to promote dialogue and cooperation rooted in Armenia’s historic Christian identity, peace, moral leadership and religious freedom.

The Prayer Breakfast also seeks to foster a long-term vision of Armenia as a country committed to religious freedom and prosperity, with a society built on faith, partnership, innovation and peace.

The gathering was opened with welcoming remarks and the Lord’s Prayer led by Archbishop Gevorg Noradoungian, Ordinary of the Armenian Catholics of Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Eastern Europe.

The keynote address was delivered by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who spoke about Armenia’s heritage as the world’s first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion and the importance of personal faith in public life.

Other speakers included 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 Spiritual Club of Lay People NGO.

Panel discussions were also held on the sidelines of the gathering, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange views on issues related to faith, religious freedom, leadership, peace and cooperation.

The gathering brought together representatives from government, diplomatic, religious, civic and business circles, providing a platform for dialogue on the role of faith and shared values in promoting cooperation, religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.