The Diplomat
Ambassador Ramiz Hasanov this week handed over to the Archbishop and Co-Prince of Andorra, Joan Enric Vives Sicília, the Letters of Credence accrediting him as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Azerbaijan to the Principality.
After the ceremony, held at the Episcopal Palace of Urgell, Ambassador Hasanov and Monsignor Vives, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra Maria Ubach Font and the personal representative of co-prince Josep Mauri Prior, exchanged views on bilateral relations and expressed the wish that both heads of state officially visit each other’s countries.
During the meeting, the ambassador expressed Azerbaijan’s interest in developing relations with Andorra, both at bilateral and multilateral levels. The potential for developing collaboration in tourism, sports, winter tourism, science, education, culture, humanitarian and youth affairs was also highlighted.
Hasanov informed the co-prince about Azerbaijan’s commitment to peace, tolerance, interreligious and intercultural dialogue. In this regard, he stressed that the projects implemented in the humanitarian sphere by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, chaired by Azerbaijani Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, promote the development of intercultural and interreligious relations.
In 2015, the Foundation completed the restoration of the Catacombs of St. Marcellinus and Pietro (1st and 2nd centuries) in Rome, one of the most valuable monuments of Christianity. The restoration of the bas-relief “Meeting of Pope Leo I and Emperor Hun Attila” in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican in 2020 has been assessed as an important contribution of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to the development of intercultural and interreligious relations.
As a result of that work in the field of tolerance and interreligious dialogue, Pope Francis visited Azerbaijan in 2016. During the Mass he officiated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church the Holy Father called the country a “bridge between civilizations”.
Archbishop Vives assured that the Holy See highly values Azerbaijan’s contribution to tolerance and interreligious relations and stressed that these initiatives “serving such high values” will not be forgotten.