Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
March 10 2004

PRESS CONFERENCE AT CLERICAL OFFICE OF CAUCASIAN MUSLIMS HELD
[March 10, 2004, 18:18:52]

Chairman of the Clerical Office of the Caucasian Muslims sheikh
ul-Islam hajji Allahshukur Pashazadeh has conducted a press
conference for media to speak of the results of the Inter-religious
Peacemaking Forum in Moscow. Mr. Pashazadeh noted that over 300
religious leaders from CIS countries had participated in the forum.
He said the major purpose of the event was forming CIS
Inter-religious Council to strengthen peace between nations and
religions, to achieve solidarity and stability in the society,
develop dialogue among religious leaders, unite efforts against the
common danger, co-ordinate joint activity for revival of the
traditional spiritual values.

The forum participants elected a Board of the CIS Inter-religious
Council consisted of 22 religious figures. Two of them – Patriarch
Aleksiy II and Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh – were
conferred special powers of honorary co-chairs. An executive
committee consisted of 19 Council members was also elected.

Within the frameworks of the international forum, sheikh ul-Islam A.
Pashazadeh and Aleksiy II held one-on-one meeting and discussed
bilateral relations and main goals facing religious leaders of CIS
countries. Moreover, a meeting of religious leaders of Caucasus
countries – sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, all Georgian
Catholicos-patriarch Iliya II, Catholicos of all Armenians Garigin II
and Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Aleksiy II – was also held
during the forum.

Within the frames of the meeting the `round table’ discussion mainly
revolved around `Experience of inter-religious cooperation expansion
at the regional level’, `Problems of religious education’, `Religion
and Media’, `Peacemaking efforts of religious organizations’.

In conclusion, head of the clerical office responded to the
journalists’ questions.