Azerbaijan at the Vatican

This morning, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, along with his wife, was received in audience by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. His Excellency subsequently met with His Eminence, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the under-Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Antoine Camilleri.

During the cordial discussions, satisfaction was expressed for the development of bilateral relations. In particular, attention was paid to themes regarding the life of the Catholic Community in the country and to a number of initiatives in the field of culture, revealing the value in the contemporary world of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue toward the promotion of peace.

Reference was then made to the current regional and international situation, emphasizing the importance of negotiation in conflict resolution, and education for promoting the conditions for peaceful coexistence between populations and different religious groups.