Azerbaijani delegation holds meetings with religious organisations in US PHOTO

The Azerbaijani delegation headed by Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations Siyavush Heydarov is on a visit to Washington the capital of the United States of America.

The delegation consists of the leadership and representatives of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Christian religious community "Azerbaijan Bible Society" in Baku, as well as Baku religious communities of European and Georgian Jews, Azertag reports with reference to the Committee's website.

The delegation held a number of bilateral meetings during the visit. The delegation met at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum with Director of the Department for Combating Holocaust Denial and Anti-Semitism Tad Stahnke, as well as Arabic Audience Outreach Program Manager Mina Abdelmalak on June 27.

Moreover, meetings were held with representatives of the influential American Jewish organizations AJC, AIPAC, JCSEJ and B'nai B'rith, as well as with Member of the Founding Committee of the Senate and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Chief of Staff of Senator John Boozman - Toni-Marie Higgins. 

During bilateral discussions, the Head of the Azerbaijani delegation Siyavush Heydarov and religious figures noted that Azerbaijan is a secular country, in which representatives of various religious communities live in conditions of friendship and good neighbourliness.

They also stressed that the state-religion model existing in the country, including the traditions of tolerance and multiculturalism of our society, are exemplary.

Moreover, to strengthen these traditions, a consistent policy is being implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and financial assistance is rendered to them for the development of religious communities.

Stressing during the meetings that the system of relations between the state and religion in Azerbaijan is accepted as a model in the international area, Deputy Chairman Siyavush Heydarov noted that there are no facts of discrimination on racial and religious grounds, anti-Semitism in Azerbaijan, on the contrary, Azerbaijan is one of the major countries encouraging interreligious and inter-civilizational dialogue.

He drew attention to the fact that the work is being carried out in the territories liberated from the Armenian occupation to improve them, all religious monuments are being restored, regardless of their affiliation.

The books published by the State Committee for Work with Religious Education, telling about the traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance existing in Azerbaijan were presented to the guests at the end of the meetings.

During the visit, the delegation is expected to hold meetings and hold discussions with representatives of the Office of International Religious Freedom of the US Department of State, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, as well as the American Religious Centre, the Baptist World Alliance and other religious organisations.