The Ambassador, in particular, clarified the status of the Christian community in Azerbaijan in general, and the Catholic community in particular:
“The number of Catholics in our country is, of course, small, but all their rights are protected by the state, as are the rights of other citizens of the country. It is necessary to consider that Azerbaijan, being a secular country, is also a multicultural and multi-confessional state. And this diversity is a source of our pride. Here Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Catholics, and other citizens coexist peacefully. They can have their own places of worship and perform their religious rites in accordance with the law.”
E. Amirbayov noted that during the visit of Saint John Paul II to Baku in 2002, the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, decided to allocate state land free of charge for the construction of a Catholic church in Baku.
“The church was opened in 2008 with the participation of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was then the Secretary of State of the Holy See. Pope Francis visited Azerbaijan in 2016 and was very satisfied with the prevailing religious tolerance and the degree of freedom of worship in our country. During the traditional meeting with journalists on board the plane on the way to Rome, he presented the model of Azerbaijan for the coexistence of religions as a platform for the relationship between religion and the state that fosters freedom and mutual respect and stated that this could be an example for many countries.”
Elchin Amirbayov emphasized that religious works of art and objects belonging to churches and monasteries are an integral part of Azerbaijan’s rich artistic and cultural heritage and are protected by the state.
“Currently, in Karabakh, on the territories liberated from occupation, we are conducting a census of all religious monuments, including Christian ones.
If there has been desecration of cultural and religious heritage on the territory of our country, it was carried out by Armenian occupying forces against monuments of Islamic origin. I want to draw your attention to one terrible figure: on the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenians, 65 out of 67 mosques were completely destroyed by the occupiers, and serious damage was done to the remaining two mosques. Unfortunately, no one in the world expresses concern about this,” the Azerbaijani diplomat stressed.
E. Amirbayov also touched upon the relations between Baku and the Vatican.
“I am in Rome to hold a series of high-level meetings both in the Vatican and in the Italian Republic. Italy is the most important partner of my country in the European Union. As for the Holy See, last year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, our ties are developing in a positive way. We hope that the Vatican will soon open its nunciature in Baku, just as we will send a separate ambassador to the Holy See in Rome. One of the main goals of the negotiations with my interlocutors is to inform the other side about the current state, prospects, and challenges of the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, as well as to have a useful exchange of views on this topic,” the ambassador concluded.
