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Pope Francis met with a delegation from Azerbaijan last week. The Muslim-majority nation is enlisting the Holy See’s aid in resolving the conflict between Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia. Church Militant’s Trey Blanton reveals that Christians will be at a disadvantage in the negotiations. Some content will be too graphic for children.
Azeri soldiers and their jihadist allies from Libya and Syria brutally conquered historical Armenian territory in the fall of 2020. On Thursday, the grand mufti in the Caucasus region met with Pope Francis and assured the pontiff that Azerbaijan respects all religions, in line with Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
Azeri claims are at odds with their actions, like destroying Christian sites or “renovating” them to remove Armenian identifiers.
Artak Beglaryan, Republic of Artsakh minister of state: “Our cultural heritage, including Christian heritage, is brutally targeted by Azerbaijani forces.”
Azerbaijan is an oil-rich country that has made President Ilham Aliyev’s family wealthy. The Pandora Papers reveal Aliyev’s children bought expensive London property through secret shell companies. Azerbaijan has spent millions on restoring Vatican sites.
The corrupt Azeri regime, for decades, has engaged in “caviar diplomacy,” wining and dining foreign leaders to present the genocidal country in a good light.
Davit Babayan, Republic of Artsakh minister of foreign affairs: “The difficulty, I think — it’s a dilemma between morality and interests, between geopolitics and international law, international humanitarian law.”
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the international community has supported mass murderer Joseph Stalin’s policy of recognizing Azerbaijan’s mastery over Armenian land.
Azeri media reports the Vatican’s chief diplomat, Cdl. Pietro Parolin, will visit Azerbaijan in May to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic relations.