BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 29. On September
29, Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation,
and Alena Aliyeva met with Raffaella Giuliani, Secretary of the
Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.
Raffaella Giuliani expressed her great pleasure at welcoming the
Azerbaijani delegation to the meeting. Speaking about the book
“Pontes Culturae” (“Bridge of Cultures”), produced as a symbol of
the joint partnership, she noted that the foundation for this
cooperation was laid by Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President and
President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, and
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. Expressing hope for the continued
development of these friendly relations, Raffaella Giuliani
recalled that First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva has always
closely followed the restoration work.
The meeting also discussed opportunities to continue the
restoration of the catacombs and implement other new restoration
projects. The participants noted that the plans include involving
more students and specialists in these processes, while also
highlighting the value of having professional experts work at
various churches in Azerbaijan.
The role of Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, in the
restoration of Christian heritage was highly appreciated. They
emphasized that this cooperation, particularly joint activities in
the restoration of the catacombs, sends an important message to the
whole world. The initiative stands as a vivid example of tolerance,
peace, and intercultural dialogue.
