Open Letter

To:

His Excellency Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

And to the Honoured Peoples of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellencies,

Honoured Armenian and Azerbaijani Brothers and Sisters,

It is with profound joy and deep respect that I convey, on behalf of the Peace Cathedral of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, heartfelt congratulations to the Governments and noble peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the occasion of the signing of the historic peace agreement which brings to a close more than three decades of conflict and bloodshed.

This momentous accord stands as a beacon of hope for the entire South Caucasus. The history of the dispute—shaped in part by the complex and divisive legacy of imperial and colonial policies of the Soviet era—has for too long caused grief, displacement, and mistrust between neighbouring peoples. Your courageous decision to transcend this painful history, to overcome decades of grievance, and to commit to a shared future, is an act of statesmanship of the highest order. It will inspire not only your own nations but also the wider family of nations around the world.

The people of Georgia rejoice with you in this new dawn, seeing in it a decisive step towards a lasting peace and the peaceful coexistence of all nations and ethnic communities in our beloved Caucasus. This milestone assures us that the burdens of the past can be overcome, and that the colonial legacy which has hindered harmony in our region can indeed be laid to rest for the sake of a future built on trust, reconciliation, and mutual respect.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to the political leadership and diplomatic community of the United States of America for their invaluable role in facilitating this rapprochement. Their steadfast commitment to dialogue and their constructive engagement in the pursuit of peace deserve the highest commendation.

May this agreement herald not merely the cessation of hostilities but the birth of a new era— one in which reconciliation flourishes, cooperation thrives, and mutual respect becomes the foundation of all relations. May it nurture prosperity, safeguard human dignity, and bless generations yet to come with a region defined not by its wounds, but by its shared humanity.

It is our earnest hope that the three nations of the South Caucasus—Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—will together become champions of peace, justice, and democracy, contributing to the stability and wellbeing of our wider world.

The Peace Cathedral stands ready to accompany this journey with prayer, friendship, intercultural, inter-religious partnership and any humble service that may help strengthen the bonds of goodwill between our peoples.

Please accept, Your Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration and the warmest wishes of the Peace Cathedral for the success of this historic new chapter in the life of your nations.

With deepest respect and congratulations,

The Most Rev’d Dr Malkhaz Songulashvili

Metropolitan Bishop of Tbilisi

Peace Cathedral

Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia

For the original of the letter see:  https://peacecathedraltbilisi.org/wp-content/uploads/Peace-in-Caucasus-2025-Eng.pdf