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, APA reports.
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.
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