Thursday, 2 June 2022, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany: The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Germany hosted a concert and a subsequent reception in commemoration of 28th May Independence Day. The event took place at the newly opened Azerbaijan Cultural Centre, a cultural wing of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Germany.
Opening the event, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany H.E. Mr. Ramin Hasanov said that Independence Day was associated with the establishment of an independent democratic republic by the Azerbaijani people 104 years ago. He highlighted that this history is a source of pride for every Azerbaijani. The ambassador noted that despite the fact that the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan merely existed for two years, it accomplished many achievements, including the introduction of parliamentarism in 1918, the recognition of elections and other rights for women and national minorities. Hasanov also noted that the people of Azerbaijan regained their independence in 1991 and embarked on a new path of development under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. He added that it was during this period that the nation-building of Azerbaijan and reforms covering all spheres of society began and a modern development strategy was defined. The ambassador said that as a result of this far-sighted policy, our lands, which have been under occupation for almost 30 years, have been liberated and the territorial integrity of our country has been restored.
Ambassador Hasanov noted that this year’s Independence Day is marked by another important event. He noted that the event opened the doors of the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Germany. The ambassador said the centre was established in 2019 on the initiative of First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, a selfless promoter of Azerbaijani culture inside and outside the country, and by order of President Ilham Aliyev. The Azerbaijani ambassador expressed his deep gratitude to all those involved in the construction of the center, including the building’s architects Nariman Imamaliyev and Klaus Neumann, noting that the building of the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre added color to the architecture of Berlin. He stressed that the establishment of the centre is a very important contribution of the leadership of our country to the promotion of rich Azerbaijani culture in Germany, and the development of cultural ties between our countries.
Ambassador Ramin Hasanov noted that the opening of the Cultural Centre coincides with the Year of Shusha. Speaking at the concert dedicated to the Independence Day, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, conductor Yalchin Adigozalov also represents the third generation of the ancient musician family from Shusha, the Capital of Culture of Azerbaijan. Ambassador Ramin Hasanov noted that the Cultural Centre will host many interesting cultural events during the Year of Shusha.
In his allocution, the Azerbaijani ambassador also spoke about the developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany in all areas. He noted that there is a political dialogue between our countries based on mutual trust at the highest level. He noted that the Azerbaijani foreign and energy ministers paid a working visits to Germany in March this year, and that both sides were interested in continuing such visits in the near future. The ambassador noted that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner for Germany and the European Union and plays an important role in diversifying Europe’s energy supply. In his speech, Hasanov spoke about our policies and approaches in the post-conflict period. He said that the Azerbaijani side initiated a peace initiative for the establishment of peace in the region, as well as offered the other side to sign a peace agreement based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as inviolability of borders.
Speaking at the event, Mattias Luttenberg, Commissioner for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia at the German Foreign Ministry, delivered a congratulatory speech on behalf of the German government on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and explored the Azerbaijani-German relations in his own words.
After the official part of the event, the chamber orchestra led by People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, conductor Yalchin Adigozalov performed works by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Gara Garayev, Fikret Amirov, Asaf Zeynalli, Vasif Adigozalov, Mammad Guiyev and other Azerbaijani composers, as well as German classics. Azerbaijani musicians Anar Ibrahimov (violin), Sahib Pashazade (tar) and Orkhan Jalilov (tenor) performed as soloists of the concert.
After the concert, during the reception on the occasion of 28th May – Independence Day, the participants were introduced to the culture, cuisine, tourism potential of Azerbaijan as well as the opportunities to invest in our country.
For further information
Embassy of Azerbaijan in Germany: https://berlin.mfa.gov.az/az/news/3920/berlinde-yeni-istifadeye-verilmis-azerbaycan-medeniyyet-merkezinde-28-may-musteqillik-gunu-ile-bagli-tedbir-kecirilib
Year of Shusha: https://azertag.az/en/bolme/shusha_year
Pictures by Embassy of Azerbaijan in Germany
