Mehriban Aliyeva holds meetings in Vatican

The First Lady of Azerbaijan, the president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, has visited the Pius-Clementine Museum and viewed the art samples and monuments restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation as part of her visit to the Vatican.

The director of the Vatican Museum, Antonio Paolucci, thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, especially Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and applauded her role in preserving the pieces of world culture.

Mehriban Aliyeva, noting that the restoration will be continued, expressed her deep appreciation to the director of the museum and all his staff.

The governor of the Vatican, Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. He stressed the importance of continuing such dialogues in terms of the development of Azerbaijani-Vatican relations. Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan is interested in continuing this cooperation.

Then the First Lady of Azerbaijan viewed cupboards in the Apostolic Library.

She also met with the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal of the Catholic Church Gianfranco Ravasi. Ravasi spoke about the projects to be implemented as part of the future cooperation with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. He said this cooperation contributed to intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

The First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva highlighted the importance of the restoration of Saint Marcellino and Pietro's Catacombs and noted that this cooperation played an important role in improving inter-civilization dialogue.

"Today, Azerbaijan contributes to the development of inter-civilization and intercultural dialogue in our country, the International Centre of Multiculturalism 2016 the Year of Multiculturalism in Azerbaijan," she said.

"I want to note that I am proud that the Azerbaijani state is contributing to the restoration of Saint Marcellino and Pietro's Catacombs, which is one of the valuable monuments of the Christian world," Mehriban Aliyeva concluded.

Mehriban Aliyeva and the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Gianfranco Ravasi, signed an agreement on the restoration of the St. Sebastian Sarcophagi.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan was a crossroads of religions and cultures. "There has never been any religious or ethnic conflict in Azerbaijan." "The restoration of Saint Marcellino and Pietro's Catacombs is a perfect example of the excellent cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican," Mehriban Aliyeva said.

Cardinal Ravasi, in his turn,  highlighted the cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Vatican, which includes ties with Vatican museums, restoration of ancient manuscripts and other issues.