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WELCOMING STATEMENT OF PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN AT THE SESSION OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE CIS INTERFAITH COUNCIL
Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia
www.president.am
Nov 28 2011
Your Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Your Holiness,
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Honorable Sheikh-Ul-Islam,
Head of Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus Allashukyur
Pashazade,
Distinguished leaders of religious denominations,
Dear Guests,
I am deeply honored to greet and welcome distinguished participants
of the Summit of the CIS Interfaith Council, His Holiness and all
guests of our country. It is emblematic that this meeting is taking
place on the flanks of the Biblical Mountain Masis which symbolizes
our country and our people. Noah landed here, emerged from his ark
and restarted the history of the humankind.
We are proud that our country, which has millennia-long history,
is one of the world~Rs most ancient centers of dissemination of
Christianity. More than seventeen hundred years ago, the Armenian
people had decided to make the commands of the Holy Scripture the
anchor of their own system of values.
The Saint Armenian Apostolic Church has been the standard bearer and
protector of our people throughout these times. On different stages
of our history, the Church had been compelled to assume the role of
state structures. In times, when the Armenian nation was deprived of
its statehood, our Church became the most crucial organizer of the
Armenian culture and education, holding high the noble idea of being
sovereign and of reestablishing our own free state.
The Armenian Church has also been the one who has been handing over
from generation to generation our faith and universal values as
well as the unbending proponent for the preservation of the Armenian
identity. I am confident, that the same is true for every religious
community represented here. Spiritual rise should become a reality
in each of our countries.
Distinguished Participants,
Spiritual lessons of your generation have a special mission. You made
your decision to assume religious duties in the situation when the
state policies were not conducive for such a decision. However, you
had followed the call of your hearts and conquered that unwarranted
pressure.
Times have changed, and now every individual is free to profess his or
her religion. Present here today are the leaders of Christian, Muslim,
Judaist and Buddhist traditional religions. This is a collective
power of its own kind, which symbolizes the supremacy of a peaceful
coexistence of different religions and mutual respect.
In modern world, these concepts are being discussed very often.
However, during these discussions it is also sometimes forgotten
that ~Stolerate~T means to come to terms with something which may
be not very pleasing, while it can be only the minimum of what
we all want. We should first of all attach importance to mutual
contacts rather than isolation. We should attach importance to mutual
understanding and not to suspicion toward the so called ~Saliens~T. We
have to transcend tolerance and move to a higher stage which represents
deep mutual respect.
This conference is called to prove that the only right way to solve
problems of the contemporary world is to unite our forces in the face
of common challenges, greater solidarity of the people regardless of
their nationality and religious beliefs. Today, world needs peace and
not dividedness. Down this road we should not disregard or subordinate
but to encourage and strengthen spiritual roots of the people. The
roots that give sprouts of love, kindness, respect and connivance,
which promote accord and establishment of peace.
Dear Friends,
The Armenian nation has made its historic and irreversible decision
to develop through the utmost cooperation with its neighbors, friends
and the entire world. We believe that disagreements and problems
should be solved through contacts, negotiations and cooperation and
not through threats or increased tension. We have been ready to offer
hand of friendship even in the times when we were not sure that the
response would be equipollent. Disappointment felt after making such
difficult decisions is, of course, can be very discouraging.
You are aware that the Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a
great pain for us. And things I have said, first of all pertain
to that problem. The process of peaceful negotiations conducted in
the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group is the only practical way to
solve it. Armenia will move steadfastly in that direction since any
alternative will bring no benefit to us or to the neighboring nation.
Negotiations over such a tangled and compound problem require patience
and adherence to principles. Among our principled approaches I would
like to underscore that this conflict is not of religious nature and
any attempt to provide it with a religious lining is nonconstructive.
It shouldn~Rt be allowed that our two great religions ~V Christianity
and Islam, which are professed by our nations are set off against
each other. Even more inadmissible are the actions perpetrated under
the cover of the conflict which are aimed at the destruction of the
monuments of historical, cultural and spiritual heritage.
Before this august audience on behalf of the Republic of Armenia,
I reiterate our commitment to protect all such monuments and restore
them if needed. The best proof of our policy is the Blue Mosque ~V
a monument of the XVIII century situated in the heart of Armenia~Rs
capital Yerevan.
Concluding this part of my remarks, I welcome the dialogue between
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and Sheikh-Ul-Islam Allashukyur
Pashazade which is conducted with the mediation of Patriarch Kirill
of Moscow and All Russia. I thank you for your efforts which promote
a peaceful settlement of the Artsakh conflict.
Taking this opportunity, I congratulate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
on his 65th birth anniversary which he celebrated quite recently. Your
Holiness, I wish you all the best, strength and vigor for the sake
of spiritual rise of our brothers and sisters in faith.
Dear Guests,
I believe that morality and faith are interrelated. I think that
without faith, without spiritual vision a person is not able to open
all of his potential, to move forward unimpeded, develop and improve.
In the modern complex and boisterous world you are beacons for the
thousands of believers who need your wisdom and your sublimity. Your
cooperation and unity have critical importance for your followers. I
am confident that these issues too will be discussed during this
conference.
I wish all the participants of this event productive work and material
results in disclosing and finding ways for the resolution of the
issues which are of vital importance for the CIS and the world.
God bless you all.
Thank you.
Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia
www.president.am
Nov 28 2011
Your Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Your Holiness,
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Honorable Sheikh-Ul-Islam,
Head of Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus Allashukyur
Pashazade,
Distinguished leaders of religious denominations,
Dear Guests,
I am deeply honored to greet and welcome distinguished participants
of the Summit of the CIS Interfaith Council, His Holiness and all
guests of our country. It is emblematic that this meeting is taking
place on the flanks of the Biblical Mountain Masis which symbolizes
our country and our people. Noah landed here, emerged from his ark
and restarted the history of the humankind.
We are proud that our country, which has millennia-long history,
is one of the world~Rs most ancient centers of dissemination of
Christianity. More than seventeen hundred years ago, the Armenian
people had decided to make the commands of the Holy Scripture the
anchor of their own system of values.
The Saint Armenian Apostolic Church has been the standard bearer and
protector of our people throughout these times. On different stages
of our history, the Church had been compelled to assume the role of
state structures. In times, when the Armenian nation was deprived of
its statehood, our Church became the most crucial organizer of the
Armenian culture and education, holding high the noble idea of being
sovereign and of reestablishing our own free state.
The Armenian Church has also been the one who has been handing over
from generation to generation our faith and universal values as
well as the unbending proponent for the preservation of the Armenian
identity. I am confident, that the same is true for every religious
community represented here. Spiritual rise should become a reality
in each of our countries.
Distinguished Participants,
Spiritual lessons of your generation have a special mission. You made
your decision to assume religious duties in the situation when the
state policies were not conducive for such a decision. However, you
had followed the call of your hearts and conquered that unwarranted
pressure.
Times have changed, and now every individual is free to profess his or
her religion. Present here today are the leaders of Christian, Muslim,
Judaist and Buddhist traditional religions. This is a collective
power of its own kind, which symbolizes the supremacy of a peaceful
coexistence of different religions and mutual respect.
In modern world, these concepts are being discussed very often.
However, during these discussions it is also sometimes forgotten
that ~Stolerate~T means to come to terms with something which may
be not very pleasing, while it can be only the minimum of what
we all want. We should first of all attach importance to mutual
contacts rather than isolation. We should attach importance to mutual
understanding and not to suspicion toward the so called ~Saliens~T. We
have to transcend tolerance and move to a higher stage which represents
deep mutual respect.
This conference is called to prove that the only right way to solve
problems of the contemporary world is to unite our forces in the face
of common challenges, greater solidarity of the people regardless of
their nationality and religious beliefs. Today, world needs peace and
not dividedness. Down this road we should not disregard or subordinate
but to encourage and strengthen spiritual roots of the people. The
roots that give sprouts of love, kindness, respect and connivance,
which promote accord and establishment of peace.
Dear Friends,
The Armenian nation has made its historic and irreversible decision
to develop through the utmost cooperation with its neighbors, friends
and the entire world. We believe that disagreements and problems
should be solved through contacts, negotiations and cooperation and
not through threats or increased tension. We have been ready to offer
hand of friendship even in the times when we were not sure that the
response would be equipollent. Disappointment felt after making such
difficult decisions is, of course, can be very discouraging.
You are aware that the Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh conflict is a
great pain for us. And things I have said, first of all pertain
to that problem. The process of peaceful negotiations conducted in
the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group is the only practical way to
solve it. Armenia will move steadfastly in that direction since any
alternative will bring no benefit to us or to the neighboring nation.
Negotiations over such a tangled and compound problem require patience
and adherence to principles. Among our principled approaches I would
like to underscore that this conflict is not of religious nature and
any attempt to provide it with a religious lining is nonconstructive.
It shouldn~Rt be allowed that our two great religions ~V Christianity
and Islam, which are professed by our nations are set off against
each other. Even more inadmissible are the actions perpetrated under
the cover of the conflict which are aimed at the destruction of the
monuments of historical, cultural and spiritual heritage.
Before this august audience on behalf of the Republic of Armenia,
I reiterate our commitment to protect all such monuments and restore
them if needed. The best proof of our policy is the Blue Mosque ~V
a monument of the XVIII century situated in the heart of Armenia~Rs
capital Yerevan.
Concluding this part of my remarks, I welcome the dialogue between
Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and Sheikh-Ul-Islam Allashukyur
Pashazade which is conducted with the mediation of Patriarch Kirill
of Moscow and All Russia. I thank you for your efforts which promote
a peaceful settlement of the Artsakh conflict.
Taking this opportunity, I congratulate His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
on his 65th birth anniversary which he celebrated quite recently. Your
Holiness, I wish you all the best, strength and vigor for the sake
of spiritual rise of our brothers and sisters in faith.
Dear Guests,
I believe that morality and faith are interrelated. I think that
without faith, without spiritual vision a person is not able to open
all of his potential, to move forward unimpeded, develop and improve.
In the modern complex and boisterous world you are beacons for the
thousands of believers who need your wisdom and your sublimity. Your
cooperation and unity have critical importance for your followers. I
am confident that these issues too will be discussed during this
conference.
I wish all the participants of this event productive work and material
results in disclosing and finding ways for the resolution of the
issues which are of vital importance for the CIS and the world.
God bless you all.
Thank you.