BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Secretary of State of the Holy See Pietro Parolin, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, has visited the Alley of the Honor and the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, Trend reports.
Pietro Parolin visited the grave of national leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honor and paid tribute to his memory. The Cardinal also visited the graves of martyrs who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.
Then the Secretary of State of the Holy See visited the Heydar Aliyev Center.
Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov informed the guest about the activities of the center and the exhibitions held here.
The center also hosted a meeting of Parolin with Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Adil Karimli. The current relations were discussed between Azerbaijan and the Holy See, projects in the field of culture, including issues of cooperation between museums and libraries.
During the meeting, the cardinal was invited to the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which will be held in Baku in 2023.
Pietro Parolin also visited the shelter of the Sisters of Mercy of Mother Teresa and the Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baku.
The Secretary of State of the Holy See will also hold meetings with representatives of religious communities during the visit, which will last until July 11.
Relations between Azerbaijan and the Vatican City State, based on mutual respect, have gone a long way in development, and currently the political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Vatican is at a high level.
Meanwhile, fruitful cooperation relations have also been established between the Holy See and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. An important contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage is the restoration by the Foundation on the initiative of First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva of a number of historical monuments of universal significance in the Vatican City State.
These projects, along with the preservation of the world's cultural, historical and religious heritage, once again confirm the role of Azerbaijan in the development of intercultural and interreligious ties.