An event titled “Path of Liberty” dedicated to November 8 – Victory Day and the 140th anniversary of the eminent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayli, was held in Bern, Switzerland. Fuad Muradov, Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora also participated at the event.

In his speech, Committee Chairman Fuad Muradov noted that diaspora policy has risen to a new, more advanced stage under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He also highlighted the significant contributions of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to the promotion of our national and cultural values internationally.

The Committee chairman emphasized that Azerbaijanis around the world are celebrating the fifth anniversary of our glorious Victory with great enthusiasm and are successfully implementing projects aimed at promoting Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage internationally. He noted that cultural diplomacy plays a significant role in strengthening trust between states, deepening mutual understanding, and fostering sustainable friendly relations. He added that Azerbaijani communities abroad prioritize this factor in all their activities.

Fuad Isgandarov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, highlighted the invaluable role of the diaspora in strengthening Azerbaijan’s international image and promoting the humanitarian values of our people, noting that cultural events make a significant contribution to advancing our country’s recognition abroad.

Maryam Gulamova, Head of the Caspian-Alpine Society, stated that the projects carried out by the society contribute to building spiritual bridges between our countries. She emphasized the importance of promoting Azerbaijani culture in Europe not only through art programs and festivals but also through academic and scholarly initiatives.

The event, moderated by First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, Sara Abbasova, continued with an artistic program.

The artistic program featured Uzeyir Hajibayli’s works “Ashiqsayaghi”, “Arazbari”, “Sansiz”, and “Sevgili Janan”, Elmir Mirzayev’s piece “Ithaf”, dedicated to the Khojaly genocide, performances by soprano Mara Huseynova from Germany, and members of the “Berner Klaviertrio” music group — violinist Roman Filipov, cellist Pierre Deppe, and pianist Igor Andreev. The program also included compositions by Turkar Gasimzadeh, Dean of Karabakh University. The performances were met with continuous applause.

It should be noted that the event was organized by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Fund for Support to Azerbaijani Diaspora under its authority, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, and the Caspian-Alpine Society operating in Switzerland.