AZERBAIJANI, RUSSIA AND ARMENIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ISSUE DECLARATION ON RESULTS OF TRILATERAL MEETING IN BAKU

APA
April 26 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementieva – APA. All Russian and Moscow Patriarch
Cyril, All Armenian Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch Karekin II
and Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh-al-Islam Haji
Allahshukur Pashazadeh issued joint declaration on the results of
trilateral meeting held in Baku, APA reports.

To show respect to each other, to take immediate measures for achieving
fair peace between the peoples and nations, the religious leaders
of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Baku through the mediation of the
leader of Russian Orthodox Church Cyril, said the religious leaders in
their declaration. "Considering this meeting as an extension of the
peaceful dialogue launched between the Armenian Apostolic Church and
the Caucasian Muslims Clerical Office in 1988 through the mediation
of the Russian Orthodox Church and keeping loyalty to our previous
statements, we are looking forward to promote the development of the
principles of co-existence of our peoples and elaboration of mutual
decisions made through the negotiations and satisfied all sides. We
have to note that the tradition of the meetings held in such format
promoted the ending of armed phase of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
arisen from the Karabakh problem. These meetings prevented the conflict
to turn into the religious conflict".

The declaration said potential of the religion, which called for peace,
martyrdom and patience, should be a power of reconciliation.

"We believe that our joint efforts will enable us to prevent the
international confrontation. It is vitally important not to allow
the disputes to return back to the military way. We will strengthen
our peaceful efforts to support the people’s hopes for elimination
of enmity because if the war continues it will be endless".

"We support the international efforts for the resolution of the
conflict. The communication should be extended to achieve peace and
peaceful coexistence with the view of strengthening mutual confidence.

Permanent peace is possible only if there is goodwill and sincere
intention. By supporting the efforts of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents we want to assist their initiatives. In order to contribute
to the resolution of the conflict, we think it is important to
continue the dialogue among the religious leaders. The resolution
of the conflict will allow the persons displaced during the war to
return to their native lands. We welcome the release of the captives
by the sides, call on the political and religious figures to activate
their efforts towards benevolent and humanitarian process. We condemn
the acts of barbarism and consider it important to protect religious
monuments, sacred temples of our nations."

The document says that it is not easy to achieve peace and
understanding.

"It requires much work and strong will. But we have great hopes that
we will have a success. Let the God endow the Caucasus with permanent
and fair peace, our nations with happiness," says the declaration.