Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the Vatican meets with Pope Francis

Turkmenistan's new Ambassador to the Vatican Vepa Hajiyev met with Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica on December 7, 2024. During the ceremony, the Turkmen diplomat handed over his credentials to the Pope. This is reported on the website Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

At the beginning of the meeting, Pope Francis noted the importance of diplomacy in addressing key issues on the current international agenda. The Pope emphasized the Holy See's commitment to the principle of "positive neutrality". The similarity of foreign policy positions of the Vatican and Turkmenistan was noted.

A little later, also on December 7, Vepa Khadzhiev met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. During the conversation, the sides discussed the development of diplomatic, humanitarian and cultural cooperation.