Baku, December 4 AZERTAC
Berlin hosted an evening of German-Azerbaijani friendship, organized by the Azerbaijan Student Network with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Germany. Members of the Bundestag, employees, diplomats, policy experts and academics, discussed various aspects of bilateral relations: from history and culture to the economy and foreign policy.
The topic of this event were the centuries-old and highly varied traditions of the harmonious German-Azerbaijani relations.
Parviz Shahbazov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan, stressed out in his introduction speech the importance of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Germany, considering the intercultural exchange as well as the economic partnerships.
Hanns-Eberhard-Schleyer, chairman of the Board of the German-Azerbaijani Forum, explained the role of the Forum as one key point in the relationships between these two countries.
Ibrahim Ahmadov, Chief Executive of the Azerbaijan Student Network, emphasised that these two cultures have common values, as Azerbaijan is a country where women were given the right to vote earlier than in many European countries.
Eva-Maria Auch, Chair of the History of Azerbaijan at the Humboldt University in Berlin, held a keynote speech about the historical development of the Swabian life in South Caucasus. She underlined the respect and tolerance with which the Germans were welcomed and pointed out that interreligious and intercultural exchange was nothing new to the Azerbaijani people.
Gunther Krichbaum, Member of the German Parliament stressed out the strategic role Azerbaijan has for Germany and the EU.
Gunther Krichbaum, addressed the issue of the still on-going Nagorno-Karabakh conflict pointing out that Armenia is contrary to international law occupying Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 provinces, a territory which is legally part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He also mentions the problem of refugees, who had to flee from their homes during the Nagorno-Karabach occupation, and still cannot return.
The Ambassador also expressed his wishes in this regard, considering the fact that Germany will take over the Presidency of the OSCE and will do more to dissolve this conflict.
