Baku hosts conference on “Russian community – 20 years in the family of peoples of new Azerbaijan”

A conference entitled “Russian community – 20 years in the family of peoples of new Azerbaijan” dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian community in Azerbaijan has been held in Baku.

Opening the event chair of the Azerbaijani Russian Community, member of the Milli Majlis Mikhail Zabelin congratulated the conference participants on the anniversary. He said that the Russian community was established on May 5, 1993 and is the largest community in the South Caucasus.

Zabelin also recalled that December 27 is also the day of occupation of Khankendi. The participants revered the memory of heroes killed in the fights for Azerbaijan`s independence.
Head of the socio-political department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov read out a congratulatory letter of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the participants.

Addressing the event, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin said that today the Russian community plays an important role in the social life in the Azerbaijani society. He expressed confidence that the Biryulevo events would not affect the Russian community at all because President Ilham Aliyev is a guarantor of stability.

Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan eparchy Alexander Ishein, Azerbaijani MP Elmira Akhundova and others delivered speeches at the event.

Representative of the Moscow Government Yelena Kirsanova read out the message from the Moscow government.

Mikhail Zabelin was awarded with the medal of the World Azerbaijanis Congress for strengthening relations among peoples.

Zabelin presented diplomas and gifts to the activists of the Russian community.

Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church for Baku and Azerbaijan Alexandr Ishein was awarded with the “Dolg i Chest” medal.

The Moscow Compatriot House`s diplomas were presented to Chairman of the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs Nazim Ibrahimov, MP Azay Guliyev, Heads of Authorities of Garadagh and Narimanov districts of Baku, Director of the Interfax-Azerbaijan news agency Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Culture Workers Associations Hasan Guliyev, chairman of the Ganja branch of the Russian community Valeriy Kozin and others.

The magazine “Russian community – 20 years in the family of Azerbaijan’s peoples” narrating on the 120-thousand Russian Diaspora was prepared on the occasion of the Russian community’s 20th anniversary.

Then, the conference participants adopted a message to the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents.


/AzerTAc/