Azerbaijan represented at cultural event in Norway

Source: AzerNews

Azerbaijan was widely represented at the International Culture Day held in the framework of the traditional international summer school organized by the University of Oslo in the Norwegian capital.

About 600 representatives from 100 countries of the world attended the summer school this year.

Azerbaijan was presented by Azerbaijani Students and Alumni International Forum (ASAIF) member Shafag Mammadova and students of Azerbaijan University of Languages at the International Culture Day. ASAIF`s active members informed in detail the visitors approaching the Azerbaijani stand about the country's culture, history, cuisine, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijani civilians during the 1990s war.

Various materials about Azerbaijan were distributed among attendees of the event by the students.

Besides, magazines and brochures, samples of the delicious Azerbaijani cuisine -- dolma and Shaki halva -- were presented to the participants. The guests received postcards showing the Azerbaijani flag and different places of the country.

In conclusion of the event, the Azerbaijani folk song "Shushanin daglari" ("The mountains of Shusha") was performed.

The main objective of ASAIF members` participation at the International Culture Day was to demonstrate the Azerbaijani culture, history and art to the international audience, present the country`s rich heritage, as well as convey the truth about Karabakh and Khojaly to foreign citizens.

Diplomatic relations between Norway and Azerbaijan were established on June 5, 1992. The Norwegian Embassy in Baku was opened in June 1998.

Cooperation has been growing especially in the energy sector, and several Norwegian companies have been established in Baku. Norwegian energy giant Statoil is the second biggest foreign investor in Azerbaijan.

Norwegian humanitarian organizations are playing a great role in the field of humanitarian aid and development in Azerbaijan. The Norwegian Refugee Council was engaged in efforts to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2008, and was active in the areas including rehabilitation of community infrastructure, public building rehabilitation, income generation, human rights awareness and advocacy.

Furthermore, the interest for Norway and Norwegian culture is considerable also thanks to the theories of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl who dealt with the historical relationship between the people of the two countries. Owing to this interest, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Norwegian Humanitarian Enterprise has financed archeological excavations and rehabilitation work on the church in Kish near the city of Sheki in the north-western part of Azerbaijan.

In 2006 the Azerbaijan University of Languages launched a new Bachelor Programme in Scandinavian Area Studies in cooperation with the University of Oslo and the University of Agder in Norway. Today there are four classes and almost 40 students that study Norwegian language and the history, economics, politics and literature of Scandinavia. The first group of students received their bachelor's degree in June 2010.