Finland’s first female president pays visit to Azerbaijani House in Helsinki (PHOTO)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. The first female
president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, visited the Azerbaijan House
in Helsinki, a statement of the State Committee on Work with
Diaspora of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The meeting was held with the committee’s support and organized
by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House. Head of the House, Ulviyya
Jabbarova, warmly welcomed Tarja Halonen and described the visit as
important and a source of pride.

Halonen shared positive views about Azerbaijan and emphasized
the special role of culture in strengthening relations between the
two countries. She noted that concerts, cultural events, and the
promotion of Azerbaijan’s rich national cuisine can serve as
effective tools to further develop ties.

During the meeting, Finland’s former ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Georgia, and Armenia, Kirsti Narinen, highlighted the 29th session
of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change, COP29, held in Baku. She spoke about the successful
initiatives carried out by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House during
that period.

Then, teacher Sura Aghaverdiyeva discussed the importance of
preserving the Azerbaijani language in Finland and passing it on to
future generations, noting that the mother tongue is a key pillar
of national identity for compatriots living abroad.

The event featured a video presentation about the activities of
the Azerbaijan House. Classical and national music pieces were
performed by young musician Mona Savojifar, coordinator for Finland
of the Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis of Scandinavia, and
Leyla Huseynova from the Helsinki Opera. Students of the Azerbaijan
weekend school also impressed guests with performances in
Azerbaijani and Finnish.

The meeting included discussions on further developing
cooperation between the diasporas of the two countries.

The former president was gifted with Azerbaijani literary works
translated into Finnish by writer and translator Tahira Jafarova,
as well as special handmade items crafted by students of the
Azerbaijan House.

Meanwhile, 32 Azerbaijan Houses currently operate in 20
countries around the world

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