Russian Orthodox Patriarch received the Azeri diaspora delegation

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Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 17:20:59 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Russian Orthodox Patriarch received the Azeri diaspora delegation

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>

Russian Orthodox Patriarch received the Azeri diaspora
delegation


(Translated from Russian by MINELRES)


HEAD OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH RECEIVED MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDIUM
OF THE RUSSIA'S AZERI CONGRESS

Moscow/05.10.01/TURAN: Today the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
Aleksii II received members of the  Presidium of the Russia's Azeri
Congress, Russian media report. 

Greeting the guests, Aleksii II told: "Our Church has century-long
ties with the Azeris residing both in their historical homeland and in
diaspora. Still recently both our peoples were citizens of the same
state. Gaining new forms of nation-state life should not become an
obstacle for continuing communication and cooperation", - he pointed
out. 

Aleksii II highky evaluated peace-keeping activities of Chairman of
the Supreme Religious Council of the Caucasus Peoples Sheikh-ul-Islam
Allakhsukiur Pashazadeh, in particular, with respect to the Nagorno
Karabakh problem. "Wise and responsible position of the Azeri
religious leader helped to prevent transformation of political rivalry
into inter-religious counflict", - the Patriarch told. 

He informed that during his visit to Armenia, the Catholikos of All
Armenians Garegin II expressed his readiness to continue three-lateral
dialogue of the religious leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
with the aim of resolving the Nagorno Karabakh problem.   

The Patriarch sharply criticised some politicians' attempts to
interpret recent terrorist acts in the United States as the beginning
of the global opposition between the Christianity and Islam. "Let
manifestations of xenophobia, inter-ethnic and inter-religious discord
never darken our relations", - Aleksii II said.  

During the meeting Aleksii II awarded A.S.Kurbanov, the vice-President
of the Russia's Azeri Congress, with the order of Saint Sergii
Radonezhskiy, for his substantial contribution into the revival of
spiritual and moral grounds of Russia's society and his broad
charitable activities.    

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