Azerbaijan and the Vatican ink deal to study and digitise historic documents

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The Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijan’s Academy of Sciences (ANAS) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vatican Apostolic Library and Archive to preserve and digitise documents on Azerbaijani history, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, head of the Apostolic Library and Archive.

The deal aims to promote cooperation in science and research while enabling the study, preservation and digitisation of historical documents related to Azerbaijan held in the Vatican archives.

Founded in 1475, the Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific centres, housing rare manuscripts, incunabula, ancient maps and valuable multilingual publications. Access is restricted to specialised researchers.

The Vatican Apostolic Archive, established as a separate institution in 1612 by Pope Paul V, preserves papal decrees, diplomatic correspondence, administrative records and other key documents of the Holy See. It remains one of the most important historical resources for scholars worldwide.

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