A meeting of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade was held at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow with the participation of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.

Following the meeting, Patriarch Kirill adopted a statement.

"Despite the difficulties at the current stage of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, we believe that faith and love for God can heal the wounds of many years of tragic conflict. This is a very difficult path that requires spiritual wisdom.

There is no future for the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia other than living together. Today it is very important to restore people's trust, learn to respect their neighbour again and be ready to help each other.

The key to such treatment is to respect the religious heritage, historical monuments and persecutions, the feelings of people of other religions, and to preserve the memory of those who left this world.

Religious leaders must use their authority to maintain an atmosphere of good neighbourliness between nations and religions.

We call for clarification of the fate of the missing and assistance in the return of prisoners of war. Religious leaders are ready to help the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia to reconcile for the benefit and prosperity of present and future generations.

The Russian Orthodox Church prays for the reconciliation of the two peoples close to it and is ready to help establish a lasting and just peace in the South Caucasus," the statement said.

Armenia calls for the return of servicemen detained in Azerbaijan after the war, calling them "prisoners of war." Azerbaijan does not recognise them as captives and has tried them under the Criminal Code. Some Armenian soldiers have already been returned to Yerevan. Azerbaijan says it returned all prisoners of war after the Second Karabakh War.

The last trilateral meeting of the religious leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia was held in Moscow four years ago.