National Day of Azerbaijan – Republic Day and 100th anniversary of the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan were solemnly celebrated in the capital city of Islamabad, Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Along with the Minister of Railways of Pakistan Sheikh Ahmed Rasheed, a number of MPs, well-known public and political figures, media representatives, foreign ambassadors based in Pakistan, diplomats, senior Pakistani military officers, as well as Azerbaijanis living in Pakistan attended the official reception organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and hosted at the five-star Serena Hotel in Islamabad.
Prior to the event, Federal Minister Sheikh Ahmed Rasheed and other guests had got acquainted with the painting patterns that embody the political and public life, as well as modern architecture of the independent Azerbaijan.
The ceremony started with the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Pakistan, followed by a short film produced by the order of Embassy of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, which was about the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and its Foreign Ministry, as well as the struggle for regaining the independence of the country after the collapse of the USSR. Furthermore, it gave information about the process of building a solid state, commenced with the coming of great leader Heydar Aliyev to power, as well as the achievements of Azerbaijan in the field of foreign policy and the development of independent country.
Welcoming the guests with his opening remarks, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Ali Alizada appreciated the establishment of the first democratic republic in the Muslim East, in Azerbaijan, on May 28, 1918 as the great achievement of the people of Azerbaijan. He said that a year later – on July 9, 1919, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) established its first Foreign Ministry and in this regard, the Foreign Ministry marks the 100th anniversary of its historic establishment this year. The Ambassador empasized that ADR, which had defined the establishment of friendly relations with all the states as one of its fundamental foreign policy priorities, despite the complexity arising from all internal and external factors had managed to establish relations with many countries.
As the successor of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, today, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, modern Azerbaijan is one of the most rapidly developing countries of the world and has gained significant achievements, economy of the country has grown by 300 percent in the last 15 years, and poverty and unemployment rates have fallen sharply down to less than 5 percent. Among all these achievements Ali Alizada noted that during these years Azerbaijan has achieved great successes in foreign policy and strengthening of relations with Pakistan has always been one of the main priorities of its foreign policy.
Ambassador also pointed out the results of the relations and cooperation of the last year between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, and mentioned that there was an effective cooperation between the two countries in all spheres and it improved, trade turnover also increased by 25% last year. Ali Alizada said that over the past year, 40 mutual visits of ministers, government and military officials of the two countries were realized, and for the first time in the history of the two countries the military contingent of Azerbaijan participated in the military parade on Pakistan National Day. He added that the proposal of Azerbaijan Airlines on the launch of direct flights between Azerbaijan and Pakistan has already been submitted to the Pakistani authorities and work continues in this regard.
Stating that various social and humanitarian projects carried out by Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Pakistan continued in 2018, Ambassador noted that for the first time relations between the space agencies of Azerbaijan and Pakistan were established and there are numerous examples of positive moments in bilateral relations. Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Pakistan for their continued cooperation and support, as well as for the further enhancement and expansion of bilateral relations, congratulated all Azerbaijanis living and serving in Pakistan on the occasion of the Republic Day and officers of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic service bodies on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's Diplomacy. He concluded his speech by stating that, as a successor to the ADR, modern, developing, stable, prosperous and peace-loving Azerbaijan has always stood firm for strengthening and deepening its ties with fraternal Pakistan.
The Chief Guest of the event, Federal Minister of Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that Azerbaijan and Pakistan enjoy friendly and brotherly relations, both countries support each other in almost all fields, especially on strategic issues and expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for supporting Pakistan's efforts in resolving the Kashmir issue. The chief guest emphasized that the Government of Pakistan was pleased with the intensive visits of Azerbaijani officials to Pakistan, the development of cooperation in the political, economic and defense spheres between the two countries, and also stressed the importance of direct communication as well as direct flights between the two nations.
Following the official part, Pakistan's well-known violinist Ustad Raees Ahmad performed a number of Azerbaijani and Pakistani musical tunes, and as an embodiment of Azerbaijan-Pakistan friendship, a symbolic cake with the depicted flags of both countries was cut. Throughout the event, various video materials reflecting Azerbaijan's history, culture, economy and tourism potential have been displayed and books, booklets and other visual materials have been distributed to the participants. The ceremony was widely covered in Pakistan's television channels and mass media.
