An official reception was held in Beijing on the occasion of 28 May – Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the People's Republic of China organized an official reception in Beijing on the occasion of 28 May – Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

First of all, the national anthems of Azerbaijan and China were played during the event which was attended by officials of the Chinese Government, diplomats, our compatriots living in China and representatives of the local community. 

During his speech, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to China H.E. Mr. Akram Zeynalli briefed the guests on the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) – the first secular and democratic state in the Muslim East, on May 28, 1918. Ambassador mentioned that as a legitimate, political and spiritual successor of the ADR, the Republic of Azerbaijan faced with internal instability and military aggression by neighboring Armenia after regaining its independence in 1991. He emphasized a crucial role of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s far-sighted policy and supervision for our country to leave that difficult period behind and to embark on the path of development. Emphasizing that our nation always remembers the great leader's invaluable services to the state of Azerbaijan with gratitude, the ambassador added that 2023 has been declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan in connection with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the genius politician. Stating that the Great Leader paid great attention to the development of Azerbaijan's relations with China, A. Zeynalli spoke about the efforts of his worthy successor, President Ilham Aliyev, to develop Azerbaijan-China relations. Currently, Azerbaijan-China relations are characterized as multilateral partnership relations based on friendship, mutual respect and trust, accompanied by high development dynamics. The political dialogue of the heads of state plays a special role in deepening the cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador A.Zeynalli pointed out that Azerbaijan is China's largest trade partner in the South Caucasus, the total amount of trade turnover between the two countries increased by 21 percent last year, and spoke about cooperation within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. He mentioned that our lands, which had been under occupation for nearly 30 years, were liberated in the autumn of 2020 thanks to the great victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, and restoration and construction works were being carried out in those areas, and he spoke about the possibilities of involving more Chinese companies in these works. Congratulating the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Independence Day, China's Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said that at the meeting held within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September of last year, the heads of state Xi Jinping and Ilham Aliyev reached an agreement on the development of relations between our countries in various fields, strengthening of mutual trust and support. . The Chinese official said that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is advancing confidently on the path of development in accordance with its national interests. He emphasized that he is sure that the hardworking and wise people of Azerbaijan will gain new achievements.

The ceremony continued with a concert program performed by Azerbaijani artists.