October 27, 2012

A ceremony devoted to the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France

A ceremony devoted to the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France was held at the Salle Pleyel Palace of Paris, following the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and with support from our country’s Embassy in France.


First Lady of Azerbaijan, head of the Azerbaijani-French Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.


Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the ceremony.


Address by Mehriban Aliyeva:


- Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!


Respected Gusts, dear Friends!


I’m pleased to see you here this evening and would like to sincerely welcome each of you.


Today we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France. In 1991, Azerbaijan restored its state independence. Those years, while the Soviet Union was collapsing, there was neither a political system, nor a market economy in our country. As a result of carrying out successful political and economic reforms during the past twenty years, today we have  a multi-party democratic society in Azerbaijan, and 83 percent of the Gross Domestic Product falls within the share of the market economy. Today, Azerbaijan  is a country with its own place on the world’s map, with rapid pace of development.


Azerbaijan’s relations have multilaterally developed during the years of independence. Our political relations are at a very high level, and  the meeting of the heads of states of Azerbaijan and France in September of this year once more attested to the strategic nature of these relations. We have been cooperating on an international arena based on mutual understanding. By our country’s election last year to the UN Security Council, these relations were raised to a completely new high level.


As a co-chair  of the Minsk Group, France has been making its efforts to solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Daghlyg Garabagh conflict. Recognized by the world community as  an integral part of Azerbaijan, Daghlyg Garabagh and 7 surrounding districts have long been subjected to aggression by Armenia. 20 percent of our country’s territory is under occupation, and some one million Azerbaijanis have become a refugee and internally displaced person. Azerbaijan supports early settlement of the conflict based on legal norms. Four resolutions of the UN Security Council on the conflict should be enforced and our country’s territorial integrity restored. Solution of the conflict is a priority issue on the Azerbaijani-French agenda.


At the same time, our country has been cooperating in the economic sphere and there is much mutual interest in this sphere. Trade turnover between our countries is increasing year-by-year, and today it is about four billion Euros. France is Azerbaijan’s second partner and today some 30 French companies are operating in Azerbaijan. French companies have been cooperating with us in areas such as oil and gas, cosmic industry, transport and other areas. It is very pleasing that French business structures are investing in Azerbaijan and participating in a number of projects as a partner. I’m confident our countries will benefit from the projects initiated today.


Dear friends, I would like to talk of very efficient and broad relations we have had in the humanitarian sphere recent years. Recently, Azerbaijani language and history faculties have been opened at French universities, and hundreds of Azerbaijani students are studying at higher schools of France. Last year we laid the foundation of a French school in the capital Baku and in the near future it will be the largest French school in the region. Concerts, meetings and exhibitions promoting the Azerbaijani culture are held regularly in Paris. This year, an exhibition called “Pearls of France” was opened in Baku, and over 400 exhibits beautifying Louvre and Orsay Museums, Pompidou Centre, Versailles Palace, State Library of France and other cultural centres were promoted in our country and this exhibition aroused much interest to itself. The state of Azerbaijan participated in creation of the Islamic Art Department at the Louvre Museum. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been participating in restoration of the Louvre, Versailles Palace, Strasbourg Cathedral and other historical monuments.


Recently a new project developed by the Foundation was initiated. Within the project, Days of  Azerbaijan will be held in various regions – ten cities - of France to promote the culture of Azerbaijan. This project has started with great success in the cities of Reims and Champagne.   


During the last year, city twinning agreements have been signed between a number of cities of France and Azerbaijan. I’m hopeful this nice tradition will continue in future too. Finally, in September of this year, the building of the first cultural centre of Azerbaijan was inaugurated in Paris. It is by no chance that such a centre was first opened in Paris. Because Paris is not only the centre of France, but also of the world culture.


In one word, relations between Azerbaijan and France have been built very successfully during these 20 years, and I’m hopeful it will develop in coming years based on mutual respect and friendship.


Dear friends, today works by great Azerbaijani and French composers will be performed by Azerbaijani and French performers in a concert organized for you. This concert is a kind of  a symbol of the friendship between Azerbaijan and France.


I would like to once more thank you for attention and interest shown towards our country. I wish you to enjoy the evening.  Thank you for your attention. 


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