AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT MEETS ARMENIAN PATRIARCH

Interfax
April 27 2010
Russia

Baku, April 27, Interfax – Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev has
received Catholicos Karekin II, who arrived in Baku for the World
Religions Summit, local media report.

Aliyev and Karekin II noted the importance of the summit from the
viewpoint of improving inter-religious discussions and expanding
contact between religious leaders.

A declaration was signed at the end of a Monday meeting between Russian
Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Grand Mufti of the Caucasus Sheikh ul-Islam
Allahshukur Pasha-zade and Karekin II on the sidelines of the summit.

In the declaration, the religious leaders welcome "acts of goodwill of
each side and the release of POWs" and call on political and religious
figures "to intensify efforts in this noble and humane process."

"We denounce acts of vandalism and find it important to preserve
the religious monuments and sacred places of our peoples," the
declaration says.

"By supporting the efforts of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
we intend to promote their aspirations. In this context we find it
important that a direct discussion would continue between spiritual
leaders with the purpose of assisting the settlement of the conflict
which would permit people to return to places from which they had
been driven by war," the declaration says.