On January 28, the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern over what it perceived as interference by the Armenian authorities in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church and attempts to foment a schism. During a meeting in Moscow, Metropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk), the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, stated his position during talks with Archbishop Yezras (Nersisyan), the Head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, emphasizing support for the Armenian Church amid what he described as mounting pressure. Metropolitan Anthony emphasized that the Russian Orthodox Church was "deeply concerned" by what he described as crude interference by representatives of the Republic of Armenia in church affairs and stressed that efforts to "artificially instigate a schism among believers" were unacceptable, the department’s website stated.