Negotiations between the religious leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have brought results and reduced the degree of confrontation, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said.
"The Russian Church initiated discussions on the Karabakh problem with the participation of the Catholicos of All Armenians and with the participation of the Supreme Mufti, the supreme Muslim leader of Azerbaijan Pashazade. We have had several rounds of such negotiations and agreed on many things. And I think that the main result of these negotiations is that the two religious leaders, who are backed by the majority of the people, talked to each other, and this conversation was very calm in the sense that there were no accusations, no tension, although each side had its arguments," Patriarch Kirill said in an interview on the TV channel "Russia 1".
According to him, it is the religious leaders who are fully responsible for the spiritual state of their people. "And what is the spiritual state? Which force will prevail - the force of peace, love, tranquility or the force of evil - this is what people's behavior will depend on," the patriarch noted.
"During these negotiations very concrete results were achieved - the exchange of prisoners, the non-use of religious symbols, religious phraseology, religious motivation in order to inspire the opposing sides. By taking the religious factor out of this confrontation, of course, we significantly lowered the possible degree of this conflict, with all its consequences. Therefore, while not exaggerating the role of religious leaders, we should by no means ignore that role," said the head of the Russian Church.
He noted that the Russian Orthodox Church is ready to participate in the peacemaking process. "God grant that the peacemaking potential of religions will replace the presence of people with weapons that have divided the opposing sides," Patriarch Kirill concluded.
In late September 2020, fighting resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh, a continuation of the long-running conflict that has resulted in civilian casualties. The parties made several attempts to conclude a ceasefire, but a trilateral agreement reached on the night of November 10 was successful. With Moscow mediating, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a complete cease-fire and to an exchange of prisoners and dead bodies. Yerevan also gave Kelbajar, Lachin and Agdam districts to Baku. In addition, Russian peacekeepers were stationed in the region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of Moscow Patriarchate
Based on materials RIA Novosti