As part of its visit to Azerbaijan, a delegation of archaeologists and experts led by Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone, President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology of the Vatican State, met with Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
During the meeting, the sides hailed the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See. They noted that the reciprocal visits at various levels, including the visits of Pope John Paul II to Azerbaijan in 2002 and Pope Francis in 2016, as well as the visits of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to Vatican were important both in terms of bilateral relations and the inter-civilizational dialogue. The parties also emphasized that the signed documents contributed to the expansion of bilateral relations.
The sides praised the activities of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in the Holy See, the fruitful cooperation, the implementation of the joint projects. They emphasized that the restoration of a number of historical monuments in the Vatican by the Foundation, and work done in the field of cultural heritage protection contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations.
Pasquale Iacobone expressed his gratitude to First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva for all the work accomplished.
Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov underscored that the Foundation is open to implementation of the new projects within the framework of cooperation with the Holy See.
Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone, President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology of the Holy See, underlined that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation is also invited to the event marking the Jubilee Year, celebrated by the Catholic Church every 25 years, which coincides with the year 2025.
