Azerbaijan's first lady met Russian President's spouse - UPDATE

First lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva today in the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with Russian President`s spouse Svetlana Medvedeva on Sept. 3.

The first ladies saw a documentary film about the workings of the Foundation and its projects in education, science, healthcare and other spheres. Then, Mrs. Aliyeva had a conversation with Mrs. Medvedeva.

She said the Foundation supports the works to popularize Azerbaijan`s culture and history.
Mrs. Aliyeva noted the Foundation carries out large-scale projects which popularize the country's realities throughout the world. She added the Foundation also had close cooperation with international organizations.

Mehriban Aliyeva also pointed out the Heydar Aliyev Foundation implement large-scale social and humanitarian projects as the Socio-Cultural Initiatives Foundation, which is headed by Svetlana Medvedeva, do. She added “cooperating together we can achieve a lot”.

For her part, Svetlana Medvedeva praised the Heydar Aliyev Foundation`s activities. She particularly underlined the importance of the projects carried out by the Foundation. The first lady of Russia briefed the activities of the Socio-Cultural Initiatives Foundation. She noted her Foundation implements several projects, as well.

The discussions also focused on how to project the cultural heritage. The first ladies agreed upon development of relations between the foundations. They also said along with charitable activities much attention should be paid to popularizing the two countries' cultures. Mrs. Aliyeva presented keepsakes to the Russian first lady.

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Sept. 3
16:52

Azerbaijan's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, goodwill ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP Mehriban Aliyeva and Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva visited today the Museum of Modern Art. The museum was established on the initiative of the Azerbaijani first lady.

Russian First Lady was told the museum featured some 1000 avant-garde works and sculptures by Azerbaijani artists. She was told the museum would join a 2011 European art contest which will involve museums from 47 countries.

Medvedeva viewed works by outstanding Azerbaijani artists, including Sattar Bahlulzade, Boyukagha Mirzazade, Elmira Shahtakhtinskaya, Tahir Salahov, Omar Eldarov and Nadir Abdurrahmanov.

The Russian First Lady also viewed a work by Mehriban Aliyeva, which the Azerbaijani first lady presented at the Giz Galasi international art festival in Baku this May. The Azerbaijani First Lady's work reflects history and cultural monuments of a number of countries.

Medvedeva viewed the museum`s Western Europe hall which displays works by Picasso, Dali and Marc Chagall, as well as visited the museum`s library which has a collection of nearly 800 books on art. She signed a guest book here. The first ladies also exchanged keepsakes.

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16:20

Azerbaijan's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill ambassador, MP Mehriban Aliyeva and Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva have today visited Sehrli Ilmeler (Magic Stitches) gallery owned by Azer-Ilme Ltd. The guest was briefed on the carpet weaving, one of the oldest and most traditional forms of art in Azerbaijan.

For centuries Azerbaijan had been a country of various handicrafts, particularly carpet-making. Azeri carpets adorn many museum and private collections in the world.

Svetlana Medvedeva was informed that Azer-Ilme Ltd. was established in order to revive and enable the further development of the traditional Azerbaijani carpet-weaving art which has materially and spiritually enriched the world culture with its unique examples of carpets.

At the same time Azer-Ilme contributes to the popularization of this unique art through its carpet sales organized worldwide. The company commenced its activity in 1996. The professional staff of Azer-Ilme Ltd. comprises 350 people. There are many designers, arts critics, carpet-weavers, dyers and other specialists amongst them.

For its activity, the Company was awarded the European Quality Award of the “United Europe” and “Leaders of the 21st Century” image programs run by the European Business Assembly. Mrs. Medvedeva signe a guest book here.


/AzerTAc/