Russian cleric says Garabagh ‘Armenian territory’
The Moscow Patriarchy believes that the occupied Azerbaijani region
of Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh is Armenian territory, a statement
reportedly made by a senior Russian cleric suggests.
Filip Ryabikh, deputy head of a department at the Patriarchy, made the statement at a Wednesday news conference while speaking of the Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church Kirill’s visit to Armenia, due in March, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.
The cleric said that the Patriarchy currently has three churches in Armenia, with one of them being in Yerevan, one in the town of Gumri where the Russian military base is located, and "one more in Upper Garabagh."
Upper Garabagh is an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have brought few tangible results.*
Filip Ryabikh, deputy head of a department at the Patriarchy, made the statement at a Wednesday news conference while speaking of the Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church Kirill’s visit to Armenia, due in March, the Russian Interfax news agency reported.
The cleric said that the Patriarchy currently has three churches in Armenia, with one of them being in Yerevan, one in the town of Gumri where the Russian military base is located, and "one more in Upper Garabagh."
Upper Garabagh is an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have brought few tangible results.*
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