The Easter liturgy is underway in the solitary monastery of Dadivank in the mountains of Nagorno Karabakh, where churchgoers, albeit briefly, forget about the endless struggle, the Italian newspaper La Stampa says in an article.

“The leaders of Karabakh for the first time gathered for the Resurrection of Christ here in Dadivank. We have connections with the religious leader of Azerbaijan, we met eight or nine times. We are ready to promote peace and negotiations. But no concessions will be made about independence,” bishop Pargev Martirosyan said.

From a very early age, children in Karabakh want to become soldiers or policemen and fight for their country, the article says.

"A lot of jihadists have returned from Syria and joined the Azerbaijani armed forces. It’s common knowledge that they disguise themselves as Azerbaijani soldiers," said Levon Mnatsakanyan, commander of the Karabakh Defense Army.

Hundreds of people had gathered at the monastery, and among them was Karabakh president Bako Sahakyan who invited the Italian guests to try some mutton barbeque.

“The Azerbaijani authorities want to present this conflict as purely religious, but nothing could be more untrue than such an approach,” Sahakyan says.