A reception has been organized at the Rixos Marine Hotel in Abu Dhabi to mark Azerbaijan Independence Day (May 28), Azernews reports.

The event, jointly organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in the United Arab Emirates and the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Dubai, was attended by the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui as an honored guest.

The Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UAE Elchin Bagirov, who spoke at the event, welcomed the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of various countries, representatives of the local public and the Azerbaijani Diaspora.

In his speech, the ambassador spoke about the history of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic - the first democratic republic in the Muslim East. He emphasized that the country, which restored state independence after the collapse of the USSR, retained its sovereignty thanks to the wise policy of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, and became the most rapidly developing and internationally influential member of the world community.

According to Elchin Bagirov, great successes have been achieved as a result of the efforts of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who continues the wise policy of the great leader Heydar Aliyev.

Under his leadership, the glorious Azerbaijani army liberated the lands that had been under Armenian occupation for almost 30 years, and the territorial integrity of the country was ensured. He added that today large-scale restoration work is being carried out in these territories, and Azerbaijan continues to make efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the South Caucasus region.

In his speech, the ambassador also focused on the importance of the COP29 climate conference, which will be held in Baku in November this year.

The State Flag of Azerbaijan was installed on the hotel building where the event took place.

At the end of the event, Azerbaijani art masters performed a concert program, after which the guests were offered a variety of national cuisine.