[8] The search for doctrinal reconciliation with non-Chalcedonian Churches was likely motivated in part by the quest for an alliance to combat the Arabs and the preparation of the military campaign that culminated in the Battle of Lalakaon in 863.
[1] A council was convened which, after a joint liturgical celebration,[9] brought together Zacharias and other Armenian bishops, as well as King Ashot, who favored the idea of doctrinal rapprochement between the two Churches.
[4] Photios' letters served as the basis for the doctrinal discussions,[4] and the adopted canons are considered to reflect his positions,[3] albeit remaining relatively neutral to avoid shocking the Armenians.
[10] The success of the council, in the eyes of the Abbasids, reflected the authority of King Ashot, who likely aspired to unify the Christian populations in the Caucasus precisely to strengthen his position against the Muslims.
[4][3] However, after the Abbasids strengthened the power of Ashot, Armenian diplomatic policy shifted, and a political and doctrinal alliance with the Byzantine Empire took a back seat.
[2][3] Ashot's successor, Smbat I of Armenia, continued this policy of alliance with the Abbasid authorities and turned away from the agreement reached at the Council of Shirakavan.
However, Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev offers a more nuanced view, suggesting that the council aimed to establish a modus vivendi within the Armenian Church, which had been embroiled in significant conflicts between Chalcedonians and Miaphysites.