Day: December 29, 2021

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear Ilham Heydar oglu,

On behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation and on my own behalf, I convey to you my heartfelt congratulations on your 60th birthday.

Under your leadership, Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale programs aimed at developing the national economy and social sphere. The authority of the Republic in the region and in the international arena has significantly strengthened.

I would like to specifically underline your great personal contribution to the strengthening of Russian-Azerbaijani relations based on the principles of friendship, good-neighborliness and partnership. Our cooperation is steadily expanding in trade, economic, investment, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian fields. Important joint projects are being successfully implemented.

I am convinced that the further deepening of our tangible cooperation and the promotion of new promising initiatives fully meet the interests of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I sincerely wish you, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, good health, happiness and continued success in your responsible state activity.

Sincerely,

Mikhail Mishustin

Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

 

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

The apartments for servicemen constructed at the Hovsan and Yasamal residential complexes of the State Housing Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MIDA) have been commissioned.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev viewed the apartments at both residential complexes.

The head of state viewed conditions created in the apartments for families of 48 servicemen at Hovsan residential complex.

President Ilham Aliyev then arrived in Yasamal residential complex of MIDA. Families of 82 servicemen were provided with the apartments in the complex. The head of state viewed the apartments.

The apartments are fully repaired and equipped with kitchen furniture. Azerbaijan is one of a handful of countries where such state programs are implemented.

 

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

Guided by principles of humanism, Azerbaijan has handed over to Armenia five servicemen, who were detained during the clashes on November 16 on the countries’ border, the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons said, noting that the process was mediated by the Republic of Hungary.

According to the State Commission, those servicemen were apprehended while preventing the provocation by the Armenian forces on the Kalbajar direction on November 16, 2021.

On November 26, December 4, and December 19 Azerbaijan handed over 21 captive soldiers to Armenia, the State Commission said.

 

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

The well-known Polish newspaper “Tribune” has published an interview with president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva, dedicated to the 880th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.

Answering questions about the role of Nizami Ganjavi’s literary heritage in Azerbaijani and world literature, Gunay Afandiyeva stressed the importance of popularizing the poet’s creativity in the world.

Describing Nizami Ganjavi as one of the peaks of Azerbaijani, Turkic and world literature in general, president of the Foundation emphasized that despite the past centuries, the poet’s creativity continues to remain relevant. Gunay Afandiyeva noted that Nizami Ganjavi, who lived and worked in one of the ancient cultural centers of Azerbaijan – Ganja, is the author of world-class works. Stressing that the creativity of the great master of the entire Turkic world, as well as the creativity of Homer, Ferdowsi, Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Goethe, Tolstoy is not limited to national borders, president of the Foundation noted that Nizami’s poetry is rich in multicultural human ideas. President of the Foundation brought to attention that the poet, creating images of representatives of various people in his works, forms a set of values that echo our time. Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the announcement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev of 2021 as the “Year of Nizami” is a high assessment given to the literature and culture of the entire Turkic world.

Gunay Afandiyeva noted that a number of events were held by the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation within the framework of the “Year of Nizami”: books of the poet also adapted for children in various languages were published; literary and artistic evenings were organized in Azerbaijan and Turkey, where musical works written on poems of the poet were performed by the “Dada Gorgud” Chamber Orchestra created under the auspices of the Foundation, as well as a book prepared in Polish consisting of samples of Nizami’s poetry was published in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Poland and the (ceremonial) anniversary of the great thinker was held.

 

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency

On December 28, late in the evening, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev returned to Baku from St. Petersburg. He attended an informal CIS summit.

No final statement came from the participants of the meeting. Also, nothing is reported about the expected meeting of Ilham Aliyev with Nikol Pashinyan.

On the morning of December 29, neither Baku nor Yerevan commented on the issue and there is no clarity. However, the video footage from the meeting shows that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged a couple of phrases when posing for photojournalists.

The probability remains that the parties decided not to advertise the fact of the meeting and some agreements reached. However, it is also possible that the meeting took no place or the parties failed to agree on something.

We can assume that the nearest developments and mass media leaks will show which of these assumptions is true.

Source: Turan News Agency