The official opening of the administrative office of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Holy See took place on October 17 in Vatican City.
According to Report.az, the ceremony was attended by First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Ilgar Mukhtarov, presented information about the embassy’s new administrative office, located on Via della Conciliazione – the main avenue leading to St. Peter’s Basilica, in close proximity to the Apostolic Palace. The area also houses key Vatican institutions and the offices of several embassies accredited to the Holy See.
Speakers underlined that relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See have been steadily developing in recent years, guided by mutual respect, shared interests, and productive cooperation. This dialogue, they emphasized, continues to expand and gain new dimensions.
Following the opening, Mehriban Aliyeva and Cardinal Parolin held informal discussions over tea, exchanging views on bilateral relations, international affairs, and other topics of mutual interest.
Given the Holy See’s role as a spiritual and ideological center for more than one billion Catholics worldwide, the presence of an Azerbaijani diplomatic mission in Vatican City carries special significance in communicating Azerbaijan’s values and realities to the global community.
The embassy’s establishment follows the 2021 decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, formally authorizing the opening of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic representation to the Holy See. In 2022, Ilgar Mukhtarov was appointed as the country’s first resident ambassador to the Vatican.
