RELIGIOUS LEADERS READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNY KARABAKH CONFLICT
The Voice of Russia
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April 26 2010
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill has met Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II and Head of Caucasian Muslims Sheikh-ul-islam
Allahshuqur Pasha-zade in the Azeri capital of Baku. Their meeting was
a part of the second summit of world religious leaders due on April
26-27 under the motto "Globalization. Religion. Traditional Values".
Our correspondent Milena Faustova reports from Baku.
The meeting of the three religious leaders resulted in signing a
joint-declaration on inter-confessional cooperation to settle the
Nagorny Karabakh conflict. This event can be regarded as historical
for all Post-Soviet area. This is the first time in the last 20
years when Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Head of Caucasian
Muslims Sheikh-ul-islam Allahshuqur Pasha-zade and Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Kirill gathered at the negotiating table. Until now
Garegin II and Allahshuqur Pasha-zade had refused to meet due to the
problem of the Nagorny Karabakh territorial conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan.
The Russian Orthodox Church tried to bring together not only the
two religious leaders but also to act as a peacekeeper and mediator
between the Azeri and Armenian nations.
Garegin II has arrived to Azerbaijan for the first time since the break
up of the Soviet Union in 1991. He said he had not expected such a
warm welcome in Baku. He said he realized that misunderstanding and
reluctance to negotiate would only aggravate the conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. "My nation and I want peace, concord and
understanding. That is why on arriving to Azerbaijan today I hope
to establish friendly relations with the Muslims of Caucasus and the
Azeri Muslims, in particular", Garegin II stressed.
In his turn Head of Caucasian Muslims Sheikh-ul-islam Allahshuqur
Pasha-zade said he will also do his best to settle the Azeri Armenian
conflict and to make peaceful relations between the nations one of
the priorities in the politics of the two countries.
The Second Summit of World religious leaders in Baku gathered more
than 150 representatives of different confessions from more than
30 countries.