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Apostolic Prefect of Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan spoke about future prospects of Azerbaijan-Vatican relations

the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan Vladimir Fekete

26 May 2025 13:13 (UTC +04:00)

“I have participated in some trips both in Aghdam and Shusha, and it pains my soul when a person, out of hatred or some emotional influence, destroys something they do not understand and that is valuable to others. This is a sign of either lack of upbringing or an inhumane approach,” Apostolic Prefect of Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan Vladimir Fekete told APA within the international scientific conference themed “Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias and Shattering Stigmas” held in Baku

He called on those who doubt the destruction of monuments in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories during the occupation to visit those areas: “For those who have doubts or hesitation, there is an opportunity to go to Shusha, visit those places that were under occupation for 30 years, see with their own eyes how they were before and how they look now. This shows that serious policies are being implemented towards the restoration of these lands.”

He also touched upon the future prospects of relations between the Vatican and Azerbaijan following the leadership change in the Vatican, i.e., the Roman Catholic Church: “I hope nothing will change because the relations are at a very high level. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican), the respected Ambassador Ilgar Mukhtarov, is doing very good work there. In this regard, I am confident that the relations — the foundation of which was laid during Pope John Paul II’s visit and confirmed by Pope Francis’ visit — will only strengthen positively.”