ՆՈՐԱՍՏԵՂԾ ԿՐՈՆԱԿԱՆ ՀԱՄԱՅՆՔՆԵՐ ԵՒ ԱՎԱՆԴԱԿԱՆ ՀՈԳԵՒՈՐ ԿԱՌՈՒՅՑ

<jats:p>SUMMARY This article examines the complex relationship between newly established religious movements and traditional spiritual institutions within the broader context of national security, state policy, and cultural identity. Drawing upon comparative material from Armenia and its neighboring states — Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey — the study systematically analyzes the mechanisms through which regional governments regulate, supervise, restrict, or instrumentalize religious communities. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between non-traditional religious organizations and state security structures, evaluating the perception of such movements as potential vectors for foreign intelligence infiltration, ideological penetration, or sociopolitical destabilization. The article argues that, despite divergent political systems and constitutional frameworks, all states in the region have developed distinct, pragmatic approaches aimed at safeguarding traditional religious institutions while simultaneously neutralizing threats posed by non-traditional groups. The study addresses the post-Soviet transformation of the religious landscape, the geopolitical implications of globalization, and the acute institutional challenges faced by historic national churches. Special emphasis is put on the Armenian context, where the rapid influx of new religious movements is considered not merely through the prism of religious freedom, but in direct connection with preservation of national identity, demographic stability, and cultural continuity</jats:p>