Secretary of State of the Holy See to visit Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7. From July 8th through
11th, a delegation headed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of
State of the Holy See, will visit Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The visit will include meetings between the Secretary of State
of the Holy See and official representatives of Azerbaijan, as well
as representatives of religious communities.

The relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, based on
mutual respect, have come a long way in terms of development. Last
year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See. In 2021, Azerbaijan
established an embassy to the Holy See, providing a new impetus for
further strengthening and expanding cooperation and friendly ties
between the two sides.

The political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Holy See is at
a high level. Official visits by President Ilham Aliyev and First
Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the Vatican, as well as Pope Francis’
visit to Azerbaijan, contribute to further deepening this
dialogue.

Productive cooperation relations have also been established
between the Holy See and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The
restoration of several historical monuments of global significance
in the Vatican by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, initiated by First
Vice President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, is an important contribution to the
preservation of cultural heritage. These projects, along with the
preservation of global cultural, historical, and religious
heritage, once again confirm Azerbaijan’s role in the development
of intercultural and interreligious relations.

In addition to the defined areas of cooperation, the Memorandum
of Understanding signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and
the Roman Catholic religious community envisions activities aimed
at the ethnocultural development of the people living in
Azerbaijan. The undertaken work represents Azerbaijan’s
contribution to the dialogue between civilizations and religions,
as well as the promotion of tolerance in the world.