VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN, DESPITE CANCELING VISIT TO ARMENIA
TREND News Agency
March 3 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 March / corr TrendNews S.Agayeva / The cancellation
of the Vatican Secretary of State’s visit to Armenia in connection
with recent developments in Yerevan will not affect his visit to
Azerbaijan. Cardinal Tarchizio Bertone will arrive in Azerbaijan on 6-9
March as was originally scheduled, Elchin Amirbayov, the Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Switzerland, told TrendNews over the telephone from
Bern on 3 March.
The secretary of state plans to hold talks with the leadership and
religious authorities of Azerbaijan to mull over the development
of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican. He plans to
meet with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister
Artur Rasizade, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Sheik-ul-Islam
of Caucasus Haji Allahshukur Pashazade, the Chairman of the State
Committee for Religious Establishments, Hidayat Orujov, as well as
heads of religious confessions, the Ambassador said. During the visit
the Cardinal will visit mosques, Orthodox churches and synagogues.
He is planning to participate in the ceremonial opening of the Catholic
church in Baku at 10, Nobel Ave.
The construction of the church was financed by the Roman-Catholic
Church.
The Azerbaijani catholic community comprises of approximately 250
people, including foreign catholic believers of the same number
residing and working in the country temporarily.