On February 9, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Head of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, at the Vatican.

Axar.az informs according to press service of the Caucasus Muslims Board, the audience was held at the personal invitation of the pontiff. Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade was accompanied by leaders of religious denominations in Azerbaijan, including Ordinary of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan Bishop Vladimir Fekete, Head of the Mountain Jews Community in Azerbaijan Milikh Yevdayev, Chairman of the Alban-Udi Christian Religious Community Robert Mobili, and Head of the Sephardic Jewish Religious Community in Baku Zamir Isayev.

Welcoming the guests warmly, Pope Leo XIV highly praised the joint visit of Azerbaijan’s religious communities to the Vatican, describing it as a vivid example of peaceful coexistence and human fraternity.

Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade said it was a great honor for him to convey the sincere greetings of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Azerbaijani people to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. He noted with satisfaction the high level of Azerbaijan–Vatican relations, founded by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, continued by President Ilham Aliyev, and further strengthened through the efforts of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. He also recalled with appreciation the historic visit of the late Pope Francis to Azerbaijan, his meeting with religious leaders, and his positive remarks on Azerbaijan’s multicultural values and exemplary interfaith environment.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazade emphasized that the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See is significantly supported by mutual state visits and productive meetings involving state officials and representatives of the multicultural religious community. He added that the deepening of interfaith ties alongside the advancement of interstate relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See is highly commendable. He highlighted that the decades-long spiritual and religious cooperation between the Vatican and the Caucasus Muslims Board serves as an exemplary contribution to interfaith dialogue on a global scale.