AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Oct 1 2004

SHEIKH UL-ISLAM’S VISIT TO GEORGIA
[October 01, 2004, 19:44:44]

Chairman of the Clerical Office of the Caucasian Muslims Sheikh
ul-Islam Hajji Allahshukur Pashazadeh who is staying now in Georgia
have visited the Heydar Aliyev Park in Tbilisi and laid a wreath at
Heydar Aliyev’s monument.

Then, the Sheikh visited the graves of political figures of
Azerbaijan and then met with local Muslims in Juma Mosque.

***

Sheikh ul-Islam Hajji Allahshukur Pashazadeh met with Catholikos of
Georgia Patriarch Ilia II.

Patriarch stressed the importance of Sheikh’s participation in the
international forum ‘Globalization and Dialogue between
Civilizations’ and rated the present visit as the manifestation of
historical ties between two states.

Patriarch touched upon issues of terrorism and globalization and
future goals to preserve ancient history of national
religious-cultural relations values of Azerbaijani and Georgian
peoples.

Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh conveyed President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aihyev’s best wishes and expressed his concern over
religious terrorism. The Sheikh noted that Georgians show respect to
Azerbaijani people, nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev and expressed his
gratitude for invitation to participate in the international forum.

The religious leaders condemned terrorism, aggressive separatism and
extremism and stressed that these crimes aim at annihilating people.
The only way that leads Caucasus to happy future lies in the peace,
international and inter-religious cooperation, and protection of
territorial integrity. Only this may lead to fair resolution of
Nagorny Karabakh, Abkhaz and South-Ossetia conflicts.

In the course of the conversation, Sheikh ul-Islam brought the
problems of Azerbaijani residing in Georgia to Patriarch’s notice.

Chairman of the Clerical Office of Caucasian Muslims invited
Catholikos of Georgia to Azerbaijan.