Trilateral peacemaking meeting of the religious leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azrbaijan

TRILATERAL PEACEMAKING MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF RUSSIA, ARMENIA AND AZRBAIJAN

A trilateral meeting of the religious leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan was held on November 24 at the Patriarchal residence in St. Daniel’s monastery in Moscow. Participating in it were Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos Kerekin II of All Armenians and the Moslem leader of Azerbaijan and chairman of the Caucasus Religious Council, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshuqur Pasha-zade.

It was a fourth meeting to be held in Moscow under the chairmanship of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and with the participation of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and the Moslem leaders of Azerbaijan. The previous meetings took place in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

According to the participants in the negotiations, these contacts were important as the religious leaders managed to prevent the territorial dispute from turning into an interreligious conflict despite all the acuteness of the inter-ethnic confrontation. It is thanks to their efforts in many ways that there is no bloodshed in Nagorny Karabakh today.

Concrete steps have also been made to search for the missing and to return war prisoners.

As a result of the meeting in St. Daniel’s monastery, a Joint Statement and a Message to the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were adopted. Their full texts are available at the official site of the Russian Orthodox Church. www.russian-orthodox-church.org.ru .

The negotiations in Moscow were held in an atmosphere of mutual trust, goodwill and openness.