Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
September 8, 2017 Friday


There is no alternative to free and independent life of our faithful
people in Artsakh – Karekin ll


YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. A meeting of the religious leaders
of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia was held in the St. Daniel's
Patriarchal Monastery of Moscow (Russian Federation) on September 8,
at the invitation of His Holiness Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and
All Russia.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin, during the trilateral meeting, His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his
remarks to His Holiness Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
and Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade. ARMENPRESS presents the
full text of the remarks.

“Your Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Dear Sheikh
ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade,

We welcome you at this regular meeting of the regional spiritual
leaders, which became possible due to the steady mediation efforts of
our spiritual brother Patriarch Kirill. Six years have passed since
our last meeting in this format, which took place in Yerevan in
November 2011, convened on the occasion of the Presidium meeting of
the CIS Interreligious Council.

In the hope of establishing peace in the lives of our peoples, we
direct our steps toward these meetings to discuss the ways through
which the spiritual leaders can contribute to the peaceful settlement
of the conflict in Karabakh.

Unfortunately, today the results of the invested efforts are not
significant, but the expectations of our people in this search for a
peaceful coexistence are much greater and substantial.

In this regard, we expect positive results from the organized meetings
of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, their Foreign Ministers,
and the negotiations process.

Despite the statements made during the meetings of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents, and the calls and messages of the spiritual
leaders, today, the ceasefire continues to be strained on the
borderline, there are still soldiers killed and sometimes also
peaceful residents of the border settlements. We find it particularly
worrying the cases of shielding behind the civilian population and
turning them into an intentional target.

Militaristic appeals and statements on increasing armament do not stop
beyond the border. All of this greatly endangers the efforts to build
an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding, and shatters the
already fragile ceasefire, transforming a new reality of conflict
expansion which we witnessed in April 2016 when large-scale military
operations were unleashed by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Everyone knows the chronology of those days, which was also documented
by the international community, soldiers killed in battle as well as
the tortures committed against peaceful civilians; atrocities and
violence caused losses and destruction.

Remembering these incidents, a natural question arises: how can
stability and peace of the situation be preserved when the efforts
made in that direction are unilateral. How can we achieve peace when
efforts and measures are not spared to instigate hatred and enmity
among their own population against the neighboring Armenian people in
all possible and impossible ways; and to counteract the fair and
objective assessments of the Armenian side and the international
community with unjustified accusations.

There is no alternative to peace in our region, as well as the
settlement of the conflict in Karabakh exclusively through
negotiations. There is also no alternative to the free and independent
life of our faithful people in Artsakh

It is imperative today to display will and commitment in solving the
problem solely on the negotiating platform, and prevent acts of
ceasefire violations, remove snipers from borders - to stop the
continuous firing and not become a reason for families misfortune in
ceasefire conditions; keeping the life of our military children safe.
Each bullet that is released against God's creature is also against
God.

Here we see the mission of our spiritual leaders: to exhort and
preach; together form the consciousness and the atmosphere of mutual
understanding and tolerance, under which conditions the progress of
the process of the peaceful settlement of the conflict should become
possible. At the same time, we should convey our daily appeal to our
military servants to maintain the ceasefire and avoid provocations.

We attach great importance to the role of the international community,
particularly the mission of the OSCE Minsk Group in the use of
surveillance mechanisms at the line of contact and the investigation
of border incidents. We express our gratitude to Patriarch Kirill and
the Russian Orthodox Church for the caring and mediatory efforts
displayed since the very first day of the conflict.

God is pleased with those who are walking the path of justice and
peace, because there is His love and blessing, shelter and mercy, and
as the Holy Bible states: “Butthe fruit of righteousnessin peace is
sown forthemthatmake peace” (James 3:18). Therefore, let's unite our
efforts and walk this road together. We all have a responsibility in
this process.

We offer our prayers to Almighy God and ask Him to bless the
initiatives of all individuals, non-governmental organizations, and
public organizations, which are aimed at restoring inter-ethnic
relations, and the strengthening of solidarity and a formation of the
atmosphere of mutual trust. Through the blessings of the Almighty, may
the spirit of reconciliation always prevails in the life of our people
and the world.

Thank you for this meeting”.