On October 14, within the framework of the “Days of Turkmen Culture in Azerbaijan” organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the opening of the “Turkmen Literature Corner” and a round table with the participation of intellectuals were held at the M.F.Akhundov National Library of Azerbaijan.
The event was attended by Farid Jafarov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Gurban Elyasov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Nursahet Shirimov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Turkmenistan, as well as scientists and cultural figures and other relevant persons.
First, the opening of the “Turkmen Literature Corner” was held at the National Library of Azerbaijan. The importance of the corner was emphasized at the opening ceremony. The participants of the event, familiarizing themselves with the corner, stated that the exhibited books will further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture and literature.
The round table with the participation of intellectuals was opened by Professor Karim Tahirov, Director of the National Library of Azerbaijan, and welcomed the guests. He noted that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly nations. The opening of the "Turkmen Literature Corner" within the framework of the "Days of Turkmen Culture in Azerbaijan" is the beginning of a new stage of cultural relations between the two countries, and this initiative will pave the way for holding more large-scale events, including scientific conferences, as well as for the development of cooperation in the field of science, literature and libraries. The director also noted that in the near future a memorandum of cooperation will be signed between the National Library of Azerbaijan and the National Library of Turkmenistan, and mutual relations and book exchange will expand.
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Farid Jafarov emphasized that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are united by ancient historical and cultural ties. He noted that thanks to state support, cultural cooperation is developing further and these events serve to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples. The Deputy Minister said that the opening of the “Turkmen Literature Corner” at the National Library within the framework of the “Days of Turkmen Culture in Azerbaijan” will not only lay the foundation for cooperation between the National Libraries of the two countries, but will also create conditions for the long-awaited exchange of books between literature and reading enthusiasts of the two countries.
Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Turkmenistan Nursakhet Shirimov expressed his satisfaction with the wide interest and attention to Turkmen literature and culture in Azerbaijan. He thanked the library management for the creation of the “Turkmen Literature Corner” at the National Library. The Deputy Minister also said that steps would be taken to continuously enrich the corner with new publications.
President of ANAS, Director of the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, in his speech, said that holding the “Days of Turkmen Culture in Azerbaijan” is a cultural event of great historical importance. He emphasized that Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are fraternal peoples with common roots, language and culture. Speaking in detail about the work of the great Turkmen poet Makhdumgulu Faragi, the academician said that the “Center of Makhdumgulu Faragi” exists at the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Azerbaijan Gurban Elyasov characterized literature and culture as a reliable bridge between our peoples. He said that holding the Days of Culture serves to strengthen friendship and solidarity between the two peoples. He called the opening of the “Turkmen Literature Corner” at the National Library of Azerbaijan a symbol of friendly and fraternal relations and thanked the leadership of the National Library. The Ambassador stressed the importance of creating the “Azerbaijani Literature Corner” at the National Library of Turkmenistan in the near future.
The event was addressed by Deputy Chairman of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Press Council, Honored Cultural Worker Rashad Majid, Deputy Head of the Department for Work with Creative Workers of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkmenistan, poet, translator Honored Cultural Worker of Turkmenistan Akmyrat Rejebov, Director of the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, Doctor of Philology Hikmet Guliyev, Special Correspondent of the "Turkmenistan" Newspaper, Poet, Translator, Laureate of the "Golden Age of Turkmenistan" Prize of the President of Turkmenistan Ysmail Tagan, Executive Secretary of the "Nesil" Newspaper of Turkmenistan, Poet, Translator, Laureate of the "Golden Age of Turkmenistan" Prize of the President of Turkmenistan Orazmyrat Myradov, Head of the "Center for Turkmen Literature named after Makhtimgulu Faraqi" of the Nizami Ganjavi Institute of Literature of ANAS, Doctor of Philology Ismikhan Osmanli. In their speeches, they emphasized that the cultural and scientific relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have a long and rich history. They noted that as a result of mutual cooperation, the cultural and literary heritage of both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan can be brought to a wider audience, and joint publications and translation projects can be successfully implemented. They noted that the meetings held in the field of culture and literature will create conditions for the implementation of new projects in the future, as well as the exchange of experience between young researchers and writers, as well as the further development of cooperation opportunities in the field of culture of the two countries.
