Azerbaijan Inaugurates Embassy Administrative Office to the Holy See

Vatican, The Gulf Observer: The official opening ceremony of the administrative office of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Holy See was held on October 17 in the Vatican.

The event was attended by First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican.

During the ceremony, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Holy See Ilgar Mukhtarov provided an overview of the newly opened administrative office, situated on Via della Conciliazione, the main avenue leading to St. Peter’s Basilica and located near the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. The area also hosts several embassies and official institutions accredited to the Holy See.

Speakers highlighted that relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See have developed steadily over recent years in an atmosphere of mutual respect and constructive cooperation, with growing collaboration across cultural, humanitarian, and interfaith spheres.

Following the ceremony, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and Cardinal Pietro Parolin held informal discussions over tea, exchanging views on bilateral relations, the international agenda, and other topics of mutual interest.

Given the Holy See’s role as the spiritual center for more than one billion Catholics worldwide, Azerbaijan’s diplomatic presence there is seen as highly significant for promoting the country’s cultural identity and international outlook to the global community.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Holy See was officially established by a presidential decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2021, and in 2022, Ilgar Mukhtarov was appointed as the first resident ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Holy See.