Patriarch Kirill on Military Actions in Artsakh

The Patriarch of All Russia, Kirill, prays to God for peace to be established in Artsakh and for all its residents to be able to live freely and practice their faith in safety. This is stated in a declaration published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations.

“With a heavy heart, I accepted the news of the resumption of military operations in Artsakh and the first victims of the renewed hostilities. For decades, the Russian Orthodox Church has made every possible effort to restore peace in that blessed land, working alongside the spiritual leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to promote dialogue between religious communities and the peoples of the two neighboring states. We have achieved much, and above all, we have prevented the conflict from becoming religious,” the statement reads.

Patriarch Kirill emphasized that he prays to God for military actions to give way to negotiations as soon as possible, and for peace to be established in Artsakh, where all residents, regardless of their nationality or faith, can live in safety and freely and legally profess the faith of their ancestors.