Raffaella Giuliani expressed her great pleasure at welcoming the Azerbaijani delegation to the meeting. Speaking about the book “Pontes Culturae” (“Bridge of Cultures”), produced as a symbol of the joint partnership, she noted that the foundation for this cooperation was laid by Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. Expressing hope for the continued development of these friendly relations, Raffaella Giuliani recalled that First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva has always closely followed the restoration work, AZERTAC reported.
The meeting also discussed opportunities to continue the restoration of the catacombs and implement other new restoration projects. The participants noted that the plans include involving more students and specialists in these processes, while also highlighting the value of having professional experts work at various churches in Azerbaijan.
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The role of Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, in the restoration of Christian heritage was highly appreciated. They emphasized that this cooperation, particularly joint activities in the restoration of the catacombs, sends an important message to the whole world. The initiative stands as a vivid example of tolerance, peace, and intercultural dialogue.
