President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva met yesterday at the Vatican with the head of the Catholic Church - Pope Francis. At the official welcoming ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva and the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, expressed satisfaction with the high level of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Vatican.
The parties stressed that there are good prospects for mutual relations. Pope Francis said that the Vatican appreciates the relations with Azerbaijan and gives them importance. The head of the Roman Catholic Church emphasized that the importance that Azerbaijan gives to intercultural and inter-religious relations plays an important role in the development of bilateral cooperation between states: there is an exemplary tolerant environment in Azerbaijan, representatives of all religions live in an atmosphere of peace and prosperity.
During the meeting the parties stressed the importance of various cultural projects carried out in recent years in the Vatican by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva.
During the official visit to the Vatican, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva met with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in an expanded format.
The sides expressed satisfaction with the level of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican. It was noted that Azerbaijan's attitude towards all religions is at the highest level, between the various religious communities mutual understanding and trust prevails. It was emphasized that multiculturalism in Azerbaijan has a good tradition, and the development of this sector is given special attention: stability and mutual understanding in the country are at a high level.
The sides exchanged views on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Noting that the Vatican is interested in developing bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, Pope Francis emphasized the activity of Mehriban Aliyeva in this direction. At the meeting, the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the restoration of sacred catacombs in Rome was appreciated. The First Lady of Azerbaijan noted that such projects will be implemented in the future, and stressed that she would seek to expand the scope of their activities.
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