Azerbaijan, Holy See Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation
Vatican, The Gulf Observer: Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, held a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, on 25 November as part of his official visit to the Vatican.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the current state and future prospects of relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, regional and global developments, and opportunities for enhanced cooperation within international platforms. Both officials emphasized the importance of maintaining the growing momentum of high-level reciprocal visits, which continue to play a key role in deepening bilateral ties.
They highlighted the significance of recent official engagements, including the President of Azerbaijan’s visits to the Vatican and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva’s visit in October, during which several meetings and events were held. The discussion also underscored the humanitarian restoration and preservation projects carried out in the Holy See on the initiative of Mehriban Aliyeva and with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, along with future planned initiatives. In this context, they noted the importance of Mehriban Aliyeva’s visit to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, Europe’s largest pediatric treatment and research center, and ongoing cooperation in this field.
The meeting reflected on past papal visits to Azerbaijan, including those of Pope John Paul II in 2002 and Pope Francis in 2016, as well as the presentation and ground-blessing ceremony for the Catholic church being constructed in Baku in honor of Saint John Paul II. Both sides welcomed the ongoing progress of the church’s construction.
Looking ahead, the officials expressed confidence that the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, to be marked in 2027, would provide fresh momentum for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Bayramov and Gallagher also reviewed Azerbaijan’s achievements in promoting religious tolerance, intercultural dialogue, and the preservation of religious monuments, including Christian heritage sites. They emphasized that Azerbaijan, a country where diverse religious and cultural communities coexist, continues to implement a successful policy contributing to global peace and mutual understanding.
Expressing shared concern over the impacts of climate change, the Azerbaijani foreign minister briefed the Vatican official on the country’s priorities and initiatives under its COP29 Presidency. He also outlined Azerbaijan’s contributions to global energy security, efforts to expand international transport corridors, and its cooperation with Central Asian nations.
Highlighting regional developments, Bayramov updated Archbishop Gallagher on the Azerbaijan-Armenia reconciliation process, the agreements reached during the historic Washington Summit, practical steps toward their implementation, and recent developments in the post-conflict period.
The meeting also covered other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
