Baku, April 8, AZERTAC

The leaders of religious confessions in Azerbaijan issued a statement regarding the “2026 Annual Report” of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) concerning the assessment of the religious situation in Azerbaijan in 2025.

The statement reads: “We, the representatives of the religious communities living in the Republic of Azerbaijan, express our serious concern and deep regret over the ungrounded claims in the “2026 Annual Report” of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), concerning the religious situation in Azerbaijan in 2025. Given the real-life circumstances, we categorically reject the assessment in the report.

The report includes baseless allegations against Azerbaijan, purported violations of religious freedom, and the exertion of pressure on religious communities, reflecting the biased lobbying stance of certain groups. This does not correspond to the realities on the ground and, on the contrary, fails to acknowledge the significant efforts of our country to promote religious tolerance domestically and globally.

This approach by USCIRF is particularly disappointing given the strengthening of bilateral relations across multiple fields following President Donald Trump’s return to office and advancement of the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, reached in Washington D.C. on 8 August of last year, under his historic role.

This is similarly disturbing since Azerbaijan was invited to join and subsequently joined as a founding member state of the Board of Peace established under the leadership of the President of the United States, demonstrating the recognition of Azerbaijan’s role in promoting peace and stability regionally and internationally, and a testament to its commitment to fostering interreligious dialogue on a global scale.

With a centuries-long tradition of diversity and multiculturalism, Azerbaijan is firmly committed to fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect among different cultures and religions. The Constitution of Azerbaijan explicitly prohibits discrimination and guarantees equality of rights and freedoms to everyone, regardless of their religion or belief. Beyond these legal safeguards, Azerbaijan provides an opportunity for all citizens to preserve and further develop their religious, ethnic, and cultural identities. This happens against the backdrop of growing security risks and challenges through exploiting religion or belief. The President and relevant national institutions constantly meet with religious community representatives, giving priority to their needs and concerns.

Azerbaijan is one of the countries where mosques, churches, and synagogues stand side by side, reflecting a deep-rooted culture of religious tolerance and exemplifying the nation’s commitment to intra- and interfaith harmony. Our communities experience such a prosperous environment in their daily life, practicing their beliefs without any fear or interference from the government or society.

Special attention is devoted to the construction, preservation, and restoration of religious sites and places of worship. This work encompasses not only mosques, but also religious sites of other faiths, such as the reconstruction and preservation of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Baku and the current construction of the second Catholic Church in honor of Saint John Paul II, the restoration of the Orthodox Cathedral, the renovation of the Zoroastrian temple, and the restoration of the Kish Temple. As a matter of fact, the largest synagogue in the region is in Azerbaijan. The first-ever meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was inaugurated in Azerbaijan in 2025, reflecting our society’s respect for religious pluralism and inclusivity. Unfortunately, these efforts by the Government of Azerbaijan were overlooked in the report.

In this respect, it is especially regrettable that the USCIRF report misrepresents Azerbaijan’s efforts to repair and restore all historical and cultural sites, without distinction, in its liberated Garabagh and East Zangezur regions. These restoration projects are underway, engaging experienced specialists and architects, with due consideration given to preserving the characteristics of all cultural and religious heritage.

Azerbaijan’s unique approach to interfaith dialogue within the country has also consistently been promoted through significant global initiatives and has earned widespread acknowledgment from the international community.

Azerbaijan’s enduring tradition of religious pluralism and tolerance has been consistently recognized by prominent international faith leaders. Among them are Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis, and other representatives. Pope Francis praised Azerbaijan as a multi-faith model for a world divided by violent extremism. His visit to Baku in 2016, held in the Year of Multiculturalism in Azerbaijan, further demonstrated Pope’s appreciation of our country’s tolerance and inclusivity. He highlighted Azerbaijan as a place where different faiths coexist peacefully, calling it an example for the world.

Moreover, on multiple occasions, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, has praised Azerbaijan as a model for inter-religious harmony and intra-Islamic unity.

Azerbaijan’s efforts to preserve and restore religious sites extend beyond its own borders. The support of and involvement of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in restoring Vatican City’s cultural and Christian heritage, including the facades of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, has been received with gratitude by the Holy See.

Azerbaijan serves as the initiator and host of the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, established in 2008 under the framework of the Baku Process, to advance dialogue and social inclusion as foundations for sustainable peace and development. This forum has repeatedly been recognized as a key global platform for promoting intercultural dialogue by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his reports and consistently reaffirmed as such in several United Nations General Assembly resolutions.

Azerbaijan solidified its role as a beacon of multiculturalism also by hosting the Global Summit of Religious Leaders in 2024, during COP29 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Baku, which was attended by a significant number of delegates of 300 religious leaders and representatives from 55 countries and 30 international organizations.

In light of all examples outlined above, we expect the USCIRF to reconsider its approach toward Azerbaijan, objectively reflecting the situation in our country, based on existing facts and realities, recognizing our country’s contributions to tolerance and acknowledging its efforts towards the preservation of interreligious and interfaith dialogue.

We hope that the necessary measures will be taken to rectify the injustice being demonstrated toward Azerbaijan through enlisting it on the Special Watch List, which is absolutely unwarranted and unsubstantiated.

May the Almighty Creator help you!”