In that sense, the Holy Father expressed his joy at “the release of a significant number of Armenian and Azeri prisoners. I see with great hope this positive sign between Armenia and Azerbaijan, for peace in the South Caucasus, and I encourage the parties and their leaders to conclude the peace treaty as soon as possible.”
The Pope thus referred to the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, located in the territory of Azerbaijan and populated mainly by Christians of Armenian origin, which has worsened since September, when the Government of Azerbaijan deployed a military offensive after nine months of blocking external supplies, medicines and food.
The Holy Father also referred to the COP28 climate summit, which takes place this December in Dubai, and asked to “pray that good results are reached for the care of our common home and the protection of the populations.”