The Vatican signed last month a memorandum of understanding on interreligious dialogue with Azerbaijan, alarming critics who accuse the Azeri government of ethnic cleansing
Newsroom (05/08/2025 Gaudium Press )On July 25, Cardinal George Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Azerbaijani authorities signed a memorandum committing to joint initiatives for fostering interreligious and intercultural dialogue, as well as cooperation in religious education. The agreement, formalized in Baku, marks a step toward strengthening ties between the Holy See and the Muslim-majority nation of Azerbaijan, despite lingering tensions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The signing comes less than two years after Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but historically governed by ethnic Armenian Christians until its dissolution in 2023. The offensive led to the exodus of over 120,000 ethnic Armenians and hundreds of deaths, with human rights groups and Armenian leaders labeling it as ethnic cleansing. Reports also indicate the destruction or desecration of churches, religious sites, and cemeteries in the region.
At a July 28 ceremony, Cardinal Koovakad highlighted a 2011 bilateral agreement between Azerbaijan and the Holy See as “a valuable instrument for promoting the principle of religious freedom.” He praised Azerbaijan for fostering interreligious cooperation, citing the coexistence of Christians and Muslims as a model. Koovakad, appointed prefect in January, also referenced the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate, the Vatican Council II declaration on religious freedom, emphasizing shared commitments like environmental protection and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
“Concrete gestures of cooperation on such important issues will contribute to the construction of a more peaceful world,” Koovakad said, thanking President Ilham Aliyev and Ramin Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s commissioner for religious affairs, for their support.
Azerbaijan, with a population of approximately 10 million, has long contested Nagorno-Karabakh with neighboring Armenia, a Christian-majority nation of fewer than 3 million. Armenia, the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301, has deep historical and cultural ties to the region. Conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh have flared since the Soviet Union’s collapse, with significant violence in the 1990s and 2020.
The Vatican’s engagement with Azerbaijan has sparked criticism, with some accusing the Holy See of falling for “caviar diplomacy” — a term describing Azerbaijan’s strategy of using cultural and economic initiatives to gain international favor. Critics point to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, led by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, as a key player in this approach. The foundation has funded several Vatican restoration projects, including the Roman Catacombs of Marcellinus and Peter, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the restoration of over 3,000 books and 75 manuscripts in the Vatican Apostolic Library. According to Italian outlet Irpi Media, donations have amounted to at least 640,000 euros ($730,000), though Azeri officials have claimed contributions exceeding 1 million euros.
Orthodox Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, ecumenical director of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, expressed concern in April, stating, “The Vatican has been receiving money from Azerbaijan for some time.” He criticized an August 2024 L’Osservatore Romano article that described Armenian churches and monasteries in Nagorno-Karabakh as “Caucasian Albanian,” a term used by Azerbaijan to assert historical claims over the region. “The article denied the fact that there were any Armenian churches in Karabakh, which is simply a lie,” Aykazian said.
Azeri officials, however, frame their Vatican outreach as a commitment to interreligious dialogue and respect for shared heritage. In 2020, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva received the Order of Pope Pius IX, followed by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the Holy See, Ilqar Mukhtarov, on April 3, 2025. Critics argue these honors reflect Azerbaijan’s efforts to garner papal support and deflect criticism over its actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, a practice some term “Church-washing.”
The 2011 agreement, negotiated by then-nuncio Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, laid the groundwork for strengthened Vatican-Azerbaijan ties. Gugerotti, now prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, facilitated frequent high-level meetings during his 2001–2011 tenure. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, former president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, also played a key role, securing agreements in 2012 for catacomb restorations and manuscript translations.
As the Vatican deepens its engagement with Azerbaijan, the balance between fostering dialogue and addressing human rights concerns remains a point of contention among observers and Armenian advocates.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Pillar
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