Chairman of Caucasus Muslims Office explains Karekin II's absence from Baku summit

Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office, has clarified the reason for the absence of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II at the Global Summit of Religious Leaders held in Baku.

Speaking to reporters, Pashazade explained that while other religious leaders had expressed interest in Karekin II's participation, the invitation was contingent on the Armenian leader recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“As there was no response from the other side on this matter, no invitation was extended to Karekin II,” Pashazade emphasized.

The summit, which gathered religious leaders from around the world, did not include the Armenian Church leader due to this condition, according to the Chairman of the Muslims Office.

The event, included representatives of about 30 world religions, heads of authoritative religious centres — such as patriarchs, Vatican and Al-Azhar officials — and prominent religious and public figures, as well as state, scientific, and religious figures from 55 countries and 30 international organizations.

This summit, part of COP29, aims to make a significant contribution to addressing the crucial issue of climate change, which is vital for the future of our planet.

The event is organized on the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Committee for Work with Religious Entities, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Caucasus Muslims Department (CMD), and the UN Environment Program as part of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

This event in Azerbaijan, which previously hosted the First and Second World Summits of Religious Leaders, seeks to make a meaningful contribution to the moral assessment of climate change, addressing a concrete problem of human significance and vital for the future of our planet.

By Vafa Guliyeva