RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE REGION SIGN A JOINT STATEMENT

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
ETCHMIADZIN

ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: A trilateral meeting of religious
leaders of the Caucasian region was held April 26 in Baku with
participation of Catholicos of All-Armenians Karekin II, Patriarch
of Moscow and All Russia Kirill I and Head of the Caucuses Muslims
Department Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade. Press service of the
Mother See told Armenpress that issues on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
were discussed. At the end of the meting the religious leaders signed
a joint statement.

"Looking upon this meeting as expansion of a peacemaking dialogue
between the Armenian Apostolic Church and Caucasus Muslims Department
initiated with mediation of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988,
and remaining faithful to the spirit of the previous statements,
we hope to help the progress of the peaceful coexistence principles
of our people in future as well and assist in working out mutually
comprehensive decisions exclusively by means of negotiations.

We are happy to witness that the meetings in such a format have
promoted the suspension of the Armenian-Azerbaijani forced conflict
initiated by the Karabakh issue. These meetings, no doubt, have
helped to avoid turning the conflict into an inter-religious one,"
the statement runs. According to the latter, the strength of the
religion, which calls kindness, peace, sympathy and patience, must
become a factor of reconcilement.

The religions heads condemned the acts of vandalism attaching
importance to protection of religious monuments and icons of peoples.

"The responsibility and the duty in front of the Most High and our
people prompt us, the religious leaders, to exert efforts in favor
of peace and settlement of the current issues. May there be solid
and fair peace in the fruitful land of Caucasus and may our people
inherit welfare and prosperity," the statement runs.

After the trilateral meeting the Catholicos of All Armenians
participated in the works of the consulting body on cooperation
with the UNESCO, the goal of which is to start a dialogue over the
current issues between the religious communities and UNESCO. The
religious heads presented their concerns and cooperation spheres to
the representative of the UNESCO.