AZERBAIJAN STATE COMMITTEE CALLS STATEMENT BY MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE IRRESPONSIBLE

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 15 2010

Hidayat Orujov Nagorno Karabakh is an Azerbaijani land, Chairman of
the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations of Azerbaijan
Hidayat Orujov.

Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations
of Azerbaijan Hidayat Orujov expressed opinion about the statement
by Moscow Patriarchy spokesman Philip who included Nagorno Karabakh
church among the Armenian churches.

Hidayat Orujov told journalists that he regretted about the statement
by the Moscow Patriarchy’s official for foreign churches.

"It is irresponsible statement. Nagorno Karabakh is an Azerbaijani
land. Why they do such mistake? Why they put Nagorno Karabakh church
on same line with the Yerevan and Gumru churches? I don’t know the
person who made this statement. He used inaccurate, hasty phrase
which could be understood differently".

Orujov said he discussed this issue with Bishop of Baku and Caspian
Eparchy Alexander. "I made serious remarks in a phone conversation
with him. He promised to learn the issue and inform about that".

Moscow Patriarchy’s spokesman Philip Ryabikh, who spoke about the
upcoming visit of the Russian Patriarch Cyril to Armenian in March at
a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday, said "Moscow Patriarch had
three churches in Armenia – in Yerevan, Gumru, the Russian military
base and in Nagorno Karabakh", confirming that the Patriarchy considers
Nagorno Karabakh as Armenian territory.