Beijing hosts event marking Azerbaijan’s Independence Day

On May 28, an official reception was held in Beijing on the occasion of May 28 – the Independence Day of Azerbaijan.

Organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in China and supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the event brought together Chinese officials, heads of diplomatic missions in Beijing, and public representatives.

In his remarks, Bunyad Huseynov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to China, noted that Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, plays the role of a bridge between the East and the West due to its favorable geographical position.

The history of relations between the two countries dates back to the era of the ancient Silk Road.

The diplomat noted that the high-level political dialogue, founded in 1994 with the official visit of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to China, has been successfully developed by President Ilham Aliyev, elevating bilateral relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

“The mutual trust and friendly relations established between the heads of state, Ilham Aliyev and Xi Jinping, form the basis of the current high development dynamics in political, economic, military, humanitarian, cultural, and other fields.

Cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative has positioned Azerbaijan as one of the key participating countries, ranking second after China in terms of investment involvement in the global initiative, both domestically and abroad. The initiative by the President of Azerbaijan to reopen the Zangezur Corridor after many years will be the country's next contribution to the Belt and Road project in the future,” the diplomat added.

The ambassador also spoke about the special role of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in expanding humanitarian cooperation between Azerbaijan and China.

Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs, Ambassador Sun Linjiang, conveyed the congratulations of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his speech.

According to him, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has achieved consistent progress through development in line with its national characteristics.

He stressed that cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative has yielded fruitful results, noting that bilateral trade turnover increased by more than 30 percent in the first quarter of the year.

The event also featured performances by Azerbaijani musicians.