BISHOP VLADIMIR FEKETE TOOK PART ON THE CONFERENCE ON “HEYDAR ALIYEV-100: THE NATIONAL LEADER AND NATIONAL-SPIRITUAL VALUES”

As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, the Board of Caucasus Muslims held a conference on the topic “Heydar Aliyev – 100: national leader and national-spiritual values” dedicated to the International Day of Tolerance.

The conference was attended by heads and representatives of traditional religious communities of Azerbaijan, head of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Work with religious associations M. Gurbanly_ executive director of the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism R. Hasanov, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, deputies of the Milli Majlis (Parlament), public figures. Before the start of the event, participants paid tribute to the memory of the national leader by laying flowers at his grave on the Alley of Honor.

The Apostolic Prefect of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan Bishop Vladimir Fekete spoke at the event on the topic of the conference.

“…Being faithful to the spiritual traditions of his people, Heydar Aliyev was an ardent supporter of the implementation of the ideas of tolerance and multiculturalism. In 2002, welcoming Pope John Paul II in Baku, Heydar Aliyev said the following words: “Your Holiness, every Azerbaijani who communicates with you for two days, listens to your sermons, will think by your example more deeply about how the one should live on earth”. These words showed Heydar Aliyev’s deep personal respect for Christian spirituality, which John Paul II embodied with his life. Thanks to Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become one of the rare countries in the world in which the preservation and strengthening of religious diversity is part of state policy…”, Vladimir Fekete noted among other things.