In his speech, Ambassador Elmar Mammadov noted that this year marks the 108th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East, and emphasized its historical role in laying the foundations of modern Azerbaijani statehood and democratic traditions of governance.
Regarding bilateral relations, Ambassador Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are developing a strategic partnership based on mutual trust, intensive high-level political dialogue and expanding cooperation in the areas of energy security, transport and logistics connectivity, digital transformation, trade, culture and education. In this regard, he pointed to the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in Sofia in 2015, and the Joint Declaration on Strengthening Strategic Partnership, signed in Baku in 2024, as important milestones in the development of bilateral relations.
The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of Bulgaria organized an official reception in Sofia on the occasion of May 28 - the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The event brought together an extremely representative audience, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Alexander Pulev, as the guest of honor, the Minister of Energy, Ms. Iva Petrova, the Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Mr. Ivan Vassilev, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Ilin Dimitrov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mr. Hristo Polendakov, deputy ministers from various departments, high-ranking representatives of the presidential institution and the Prime Minister's administration, members of the parliament, mayors, rectors of leading universities, ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Bulgaria, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of representations of international organizations, prominent public and political figures, representatives of academic and cultural circles, representatives of business and the media, as well as members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Bulgaria.
The official part of the event began with the performance of the national anthems of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Bulgaria, after which welcoming speeches were delivered by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Bulgaria Elmar Mammadov and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Pulev.
In his speech, Ambassador Elmar Mammadov noted that this year marks the 108th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East, and emphasized its historical role in laying the foundations of modern Azerbaijani statehood and democratic traditions of governance.
The Ambassador also emphasized the exceptional role of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in preserving and strengthening Azerbaijani statehood, emphasizing that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity, has begun unprecedented reconstruction and construction activities in the liberated territories of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, and at the initiative of Azerbaijan, the text of the peace agreement with Armenia was initialed, aimed at ensuring sustainable peace and long-term stability in the South Caucasus region.
Regarding bilateral relations, Ambassador Mammadov emphasized that Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are developing a strategic partnership based on mutual trust, intensive high-level political dialogue and expanding cooperation in the areas of energy security, transport and logistics connectivity, digital transformation, trade, culture and education. In this regard, he pointed to the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in Sofia in 2015, and the Joint Declaration on Strengthening Strategic Partnership, signed in Baku in 2024, as important milestones in the development of bilateral relations.
Particular emphasis was placed on the ever-expanding humanitarian and cultural dimension of bilateral cooperation, including the twinning relations between the cities of Shusha and Veliko Tarnovo, as well as the upcoming "Shusha Park" project in Veliko Tarnovo, which will become a lasting symbol of friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Ambassador also provided detailed information on the global and regional heritage of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), successfully held in Baku a few days earlier, the initiatives implemented within the framework of the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in Azerbaijan, as well as the historical, cultural and religious architectural monuments in Baku and other regions of the country. In this context, appreciation was expressed for the active participation of the President of Bulgaria, Bulgarian mayors and representatives of academia in the WUF13 forum.
In his welcome address, Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Alexander Pulev, who attended the event as a guest of honor, congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Independence Day and confirmed the importance of Azerbaijan as a reliable and strategic partner of Bulgaria.
Deputy Prime Minister Pulev highly appreciated Azerbaijan's contribution to the diversification of Bulgaria's energy sources and regional energy security, while emphasizing the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and emerging digital connectivity initiatives between Europe and Asia. He also noted the significant potential for further expansion of bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.
During the reception, a special video dedicated to the rich historical, cultural and religious architectural heritage of Azerbaijan, the large-scale restoration and construction activities in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, as well as visual presentations prepared within the framework of the "Year of Urban Planning and Architecture" in Azerbaijan, reflecting the unique harmony between the historical and modern architectural appearance of Baku and the other regions of the country, was presented to the guests.
The event continued with a cultural program, including performances of Azerbaijani musical works by the famous Bulgarian composer and pianist Minko Lambov and vocalist Valentina Dimitrova, followed by an official reception, at which guests had the opportunity to try samples of Azerbaijani national cuisine.