Kuwait’s national holidays marked in Baku

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Kuwait’s national holidays - the 54th anniversary of state independence and the 24th anniversary of liberation have been solemnly celebrated in Baku.

The embassy of Kuwait in Azerbaijan hosted an official reception to mark the country’s national holidays on February 24.

The event began with the performance of both countries' national anthems. Later, Saud Abdulaziz Mohammad Al-Shamlan al-Roumi, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Baku spoke about the development of his country, noting that great progress had been achieved in economic and cultural spheres.

Expressing satisfaction with the ever-expanding relations between the two friendly countries, the ambassador stressed mutual visits of high-ranking officials had paved the way for the rapid development of bilateral relations.

He further emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev’s official visit to Kuwait stimulated the development of bilateral relations.

Recalling the 23th anniversary of Khojaly genocide, Al-Shamlan al-Roumi also conveyed his condolences to the people of Azerbaijan on the massacre committed by the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.

Ziya Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister congratulated and extended his best wishes to the people of Kuwait on behalf of the Azerbaijani government on the significant day.

He said the relations between Azerbaijan and Kuwait in various fields are developing successfully.

Emphasizing on the stability of the two countries' political relations, Mammadov noted Kuwait has cooperated with Azerbaijan on both bilateral and international levels.

He also noted that President Aliyev’s visit to Kuwait gave an impetus to the development of such relations.

Mammadov also emphasized the strong trade turnover between the two countries -$ 433 million in 2014, adding that Azerbaijan-Kuwait relationship will strengthen and deepen further.

The event brought together Azerbaijan`s state and government officials, MPs, ambassadors of foreign countries, as well as public figures.

The National and Liberation Days highlight the iconic history behind the independence of Kuwait.

Azerbaijan and Kuwait enjoy strong religious and historical ties.

From the first days of independence, the development of bilateral relations with the Islamic World and Arab countries has been a priority of the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. It should be noted that the Azerbaijani people are linked to the Islamic civilization on both a religious and cultural level. If we take into account the close relationship of the Kuwaiti state to Islamic culture, the rapid development of relations between the two states may be considered appropriate.

The relations between Kuwait and Azerbaijan existed before the establishment of diplomatic ties.

In the 1990s, Kuwait provided financial assistance toward the implementation of various projects in Azerbaijan. Diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Azerbaijan were established in October, 1994. Azerbaijani Embassy in Kuwait opened in late 2004 and the Kuwaiti Embassy in Baku began to function in 2006.