BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Leyla Aliyeva,
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, met with a visiting
delegation of the Holy See led by Archbishop Monsignor Giovanni
Cesare Pagazzi, Archivist of the Vatican Apostolic Archive and
Librarian of the Vatican Library.
The discussions focused on reviewing existing cooperation
frameworks between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Holy See,
as well as outlining future directions for cooperation.
Cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Vatican
Apostolic Library and Apostolic Archive has been actively
maintained since 2012.
The two sides evaluated prospects for developing current
bilateral ties, planned upcoming initiatives, and reviewed joint
projects focused on the digital preservation of collections housed
in the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi recalled that last year, First
Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President of the
Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva toured the Vatican
Apostolic Library and Apostolic Archive during her official visit
to the Holy See. He noted that over the past years, wide-ranging
cooperation has been established between Azerbaijan and the Holy
See, as well as between the Foundation and various Holy See
institutions.
Pagazzi stated that during his current visit to Azerbaijan,
high-level meetings were held with representatives of various local
institutions, focusing on the identification, analysis,
translation, and digitization of rare manuscripts related to
Azerbaijan preserved in the Vatican's historic collections.
Within the framework of cooperation under the current agreement
between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Vatican Apostolic
Library and Apostolic Archive, extensive restoration and
digitization of significant manuscripts related to Azerbaijan’s
historical and cultural heritage, as well as the heritage of
Turkic-speaking peoples, have been successfully carried out.
In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed last
year between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Azerbaijan National
Academy of Sciences (ANAS), and the Vatican Apostolic Library and
Apostolic Archive, a delegation of Azerbaijani scholars is
scheduled to conduct extensive research at the Vatican in 2026.
This academic research will cover historical materials on the South
Caucasus and Azerbaijan, including diplomatic correspondence
between the Aq Qoyunlu and Safavid rulers and the Popes of
Rome.
The meeting also featured discussions on the possibility of
Azerbaijani students studying library science and archival studies
at the Vatican in the future.
During the session, a traditional Azerbaijani carpet was
presented as a gift to the visiting delegation. In return, the
guests presented a copy of a historical document from the Vatican
Archive dating back to the early 20th century related to
Azerbaijan’s history.
Following the meeting, Leyla Aliyeva and Archbishop Monsignor
Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi toured the exhibitions at the Heydar Aliyev
Center. During a viewing of the Classic Cars exhibition, Anar
Alakbarov, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center and President of
the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation, briefed the Archbishop on
rare vehicles from various historical eras. The delegation then
viewed the “My Seas, My Oceans” exhibition, which promotes the
protection of global water resources. Organized on the initiative
of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the IDEA Public Union
(International Dialogue for Environmental Action), the exhibition
displays works by contemporary artists highlighting critical global
issues ranging from marine pollution and overfishing to
biodiversity loss, portraying water as an essential source of life,
renewal, and creative imagination.
