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World Summit of Religious Leaders started in Azerbaijani capital - UPDATED - PHOTOSESSION

World Summit of Religious Leaders started in Azerbaijani capital - <font color=red>UPDATED - PHOTOSESSION</font>

26 April 2010 08:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev â€“ APA. The World Summit of Religious Leaders has begun in the Azerbaijani capital on Monday. According to APA, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening ceremony of the summit in Gulustan Palace of Baku. Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheik-al-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh has delivered a welcoming speech and called the summit in Baku as an important factor and sign of Azerbaijanâ€™s influence in the world.

President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the summit participants. He called the summit has a great importance. â€œThe meetings of the world religious leaders in Baku became a tradition. Representatives of different nationalities and religions lived in Azerbaijan as brothers throughout the centuries. These meetings will have great results. We attach an importance to that Baku becomes a center of dialogue between the religions. Azerbaijan is contributing to the development of this dialogue. Azerbaijan is a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference for almost 20 years and a member of the Council of Europe for nearly 10 years. Baku was the Islamic Culture Capital in 2009. The day will come that Baku will be the capital of European Culture. Representatives of different religions and nationalities lived together in Azerbaijan throughout the centuries. There are more than one thousand mosques, 11 churches, 6 synagogues in our countryâ€.

The Azerbaijani leader said power of the country was not measured only by the economic potential. â€œWe want to achieve peace in the region that there will be no confrontation. I believe that joint activity of the world religious leaders and the documents to be adopted in this summit will contribute to peace and stability. There is a need in the words of religious leaders, who are always honorable people in the society. This event is good condition for sincere exchange of opinions. Azerbaijan is a secular country. We must not forget our national values under the name of globalization. We consider the worldwide friendship and cooperation while speaking about the globalization. We are loyal to our national and religious values and we have to educate the young generation in a sense of patriotism and we are doing that. I believe this summit will contribute to the discussion and elimination of some problemsâ€.

Then Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin read out the letter of congratulation of Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev to the summit participants.

Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office, Sheikh-al-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh addressed the summit. He said they would discuss the issues of globalization and religion and the religious leaders would exchange opinions about the religious values and religious relations in the globalizing world.

Sheikh-al-Islam Pashazadeh mentioned the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and said the summit participants were aware of this problem. â€œWe are making efforts to solve the conflict with Armenia. We held series of meetings with the Armenian Catholicos. I consider it an important factor that the Armenian Catholicos accepted the invitation and joined the summit. We advocate for peace. I believe the Baku summit will contribute to this workâ€.

Then All Russian and Moscow Patriarch Cyril addressed the summit and said they would hold discussions on the problems the humanity faced today. â€œThis event has great importance. The religions plays great role in the societyâ€.

Patriarch Cyril emphasized the importance of free activity of the religious communities in the society and said only education and dialogue between the religions could prevent terrorism. â€œWe have to work to make the world religions closerâ€.

220 representatives from 33 countries, including All Armenian Catholicos Karekin II participate at the summit.

The summit will finalize its work on April 27.