President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia Meets Religious Leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia in the Novo-Ogarevo Residence
2.12.2003 · English, Архив 2003
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR V. PUTIN OF RUSSIA MEETS RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA, GEORGIA AND RUSSIA IN THE NOVO-OGAREVO RESIDENCE
On 26 November 2003 President Vladimir V. Putin of the Russian Federation received in the Novo-Ogarevo residence His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia, His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Sheikh Ul-Islam Allahshukyur Pasha-Zade, head of the Administration of the Muslims of the Caucasus and spiritual leader of the Muslims in Transcaucasia. The religious leaders took part in the quadrilateral peace meeting in Moscow on the settlement in the North Caucasus.
Also taking part in the meeting was S.E.Prikhodko, deputy head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and chief of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation on foreign policy.
The Russian President greeted the religious leaders of four countries and underlined that it was for the first time that he had an opportunity to meet at one and the same time religious leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia. He noted that the recent years were a time of difficult economic and political trials for the Caucasian people. ‘Peacemaking efforts of religious leaders deserve respect as they create the spiritual basis on which alone a political solution to the problems of the region is possible’, – the Russian President emphasized.
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia thanked Mr.Putin for the personal meeting and exchange of opinions with the leaders of traditional religious communities of four neighbouring countries. ‘Such interreligious meetings of religious leaders on the problems of peaceful settlement in the North Caucasus have been held since 1989, yet is was for the first time that we had an enlarged meeting of the ‘four’, – His Holiness Patriarch Alexy said. – We understand that the problems of the people of the Caucasus can be resolved only in a peaceful way. This vision was stated in our joint appeal signed today in St.Daniel’s Monastery in Moscow. We are one in our conviction that the loss of moral orientation leads to armed confrontations and bloodshed. The text of the document is being given to the head of the Russian state’. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy noted with appreciation the beneficial role played by the Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church His Holiness Patriarch Ilia II in the peaceful settlement of the explosive situation in Georgia.
While talking about the recent dramatic events in Tbilisi, His Holiness Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia noted: ‘We have experienced a very uneasy time’. He thanked the President of the Russian Federation for the mediatory mission undertaken by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia I.S.Ivanov in the most crucial moment of civil confrontation in Georgia. ‘The Russian Minister has done a lot for my country to avoid fratricide. I myself have repeatedly called to peace. Praise be to God that blood has not been shed and that no single shot was fired, though the number of the opposing parties reached up to 40 thousand persons in the square in Tbilisi, which was the area of confrontation’. His Holiness Patriarch Ilia assured President Putting that the leaders of his country are prepared to establish good neighbourly relations with Russia.
While speaking about the interreligious peace meeting in Moscow, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Karekin II, emphasized: ‘I hope that our voice will be heard and find response in the hearts of the sons and daughters of our nations and will promote the finding of peaceful ways for the solution of political problems’. His Holiness Catholicos Karekin conveyed cordial greetings to Mr.Putin from the Armenian believers and noted in particular that he considered fraternal relations between the Armenian and Russian people as a pledge of the solution of the problems of the Caucasian region at the table of negotiations.
The spiritual leader of the Muslims in Transcaucasia Sheikh-Ul-Islam Allahshukyur Pasha-zade noted that the time of holding the quadrilateral peace meeting in Moscow coincided with the Muslim feast of Uraza-Bairam and said: ‘Maybe, the efforts of religious leaders are not enough for the solution of the problem of war and peace, but it within their power to help politicians to find the way to the settlement of the problems’. Sheikh-Ul-Islam Allahshukyur Pasha-zade expressed his appreciation to the efforts of the Russian leadreship aimed at the settlement of the situation in Chechnya and said that the election of the President of the Republic gives hope for the stabilization of the situation.
The Primate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the spiritual leader of the Muslims in Transcaucasia conveyed to the President and people of Russia the wishes of well-being and success on behalf of the political leaders of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
President Vladimir V.Putin assured the participants in the meeting that ‘on his part Russia will continue its efforts and will do anything possible so that the people of the Caucasus could live in peace, accord and economic prosperity’.
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