As part of his official visit to the Vatican on November 25, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

The meeting discussed the current agenda of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

It was noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of relations with the Holy See, and that the numerous recent high-level visits from Azerbaijan to the Vatican are a clear example of this.

In this context, the parties emphasized that the visit of Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to the Holy See in October this year gave impetus to further strengthening relations based on mutual understanding and shared values. They also noted that the preservation and restoration projects implemented at the Holy See through Mehriban Aliyeva’s initiative and with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation serve as a bridge for cooperation in the humanitarian field.

It was stressed that the rights and security of all ethnic and religious communities living in Azerbaijan are ensured, and the country’s centuries-old traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance were highlighted.

The sides touched upon the important role of religious beliefs in promoting universal human values and global solidarity. They underlined that further deepening interfaith dialogue and promoting joint cultural and humanitarian projects contribute to strengthening relations of friendship and understanding in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

During the meeting, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also briefed his counterpart on the Azerbaijan-Armenia reconciliation process, the agreements reached during the historic Washington Summit, the practical steps taken to implement them, as well as post-conflict regional developments.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on other issues of mutual interest.