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Nazrin Abdul

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On February 9, 2026, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, head of the Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO), met with His Holiness Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and the Holy See, in Vatican City, AzerNEWS reports, citing the CMO Press Service.

The audience, held at the personal invitation of the Pope, was attended by religious leaders in Azerbaijan, including Bishop Vladimir Fekete, Ordinary of the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan; Milikh Yevdayev, head of the Mountain Jews Community of Azerbaijan; Robert Mobili, chairman of the Alban-Udi Christian Religious Community; and Zamir Isayev, leader of the Sephardic Jewish Community in Baku.

Pope Francis warmly welcomed the guests and praised the joint visit of Azerbaijan’s religious communities as a remarkable example of coexistence in an environment of peace and human brotherhood.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazade conveyed the greetings of President Ilham Aliyev, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, and the people of Azerbaijan to the Pope. He noted the high level of Azerbaijan–Vatican relations, established by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, continued by President Ilham Aliyev, and supported by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

He also recalled the historic visit of the late Pope Francis to Azerbaijan, highlighting his engagement with leaders of different religious communities and his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s multicultural values and exemplary interfaith environment.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazade expressed satisfaction with the current level of interfaith cooperation between the Vatican and the Caucasian Muslims Office and emphasized the importance of further deepening these relations, noting that the establishment of a CMO representation in Vatican City could make a significant contribution to this process.