108th anniversary of Azerbaijan's Independence Day celebrated in Belgrade

An official reception to mark the 108th anniversary of Azerbaijan's Independence Day has been held in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, Report informs.

The event was organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia and began with the performance of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Serbia.

In his speech, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Kamil Khasiyev noted that the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, established in 1918, was the first democratic and secular parliamentary republic in the East.

He emphasized that in recent years, relations between Azerbaijan and Serbia have been developing dynamically in all areas and have reached the level of a strategic partnership.

According to the diplomat, cooperation is expanding in the economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, including education, youth policy, gender equality, and environmental protection.

The event continued with a cultural program. Serbian opera singer Jasmina Trumbetas performed the aria "Nigyar" from the opera "Koroglu," followed by the folk song "Sari Gelin."

Finally, the poem "Azerbaijan" by Azerbaijani poet Samad Vurgun, who celebrates his 120th anniversary this year, was read in both Azerbaijani and Serbian. It was presented by Tara Konculic and Marija Borojevic, third-year students in the Department of Turkic Studies at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Philology. The Serbian translation was provided by Gulnara Babanli, PhD in Philology and Director of the Center for Azerbaijani Language and Culture at the University of Belgrade.