Orthodox bishop praises freedom of religion in Azerbaijan

22/9/2011

Bishop Alexander of the Baku and Azerbaijan Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church has praised religious freedom in Azerbaijan.

He made the comments in a report to a round table on “Our independence and national and moral values” at the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations on Thursday, Gun.Az reported.

“We are marking the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence. Much has been done to promote the credibility of the country abroad over these years,” the bishop said.

“But everything is very clear – all the achievements of Azerbaijan are built on its ethnic policy. The presence of many ethnicities is a beautiful feature of this country. This factor is central to the ethnic policy of the state.”

The late President Heydar Aliyev was well aware that it is necessary to build good ties with religious and ethnic minorities in the country, the bishop continued.

“This policy is pursued to this day. The religious communities in the country function without any obstacle and freely perform their rituals. The state maintains stability in the country for young people to exercise their religious beliefs easily.”

He said that the fact that President Ilham Aliyev usually congratulates the Christian community on significant holidays encourages solidarity and development in Azerbaijan.

Dozens of religious communities, some of them Christian, have been waiting for re-registration by the State Committee for Work With Religious Structures since the end of 2009.

News.Az

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