BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. The first female president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, visited the Azerbaijan House in Helsinki, a statement of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan, TurkicWorld reports.
The meeting was held with the committee’s support and organized by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House. Head of the House, Ulviyya Jabbarova, warmly welcomed Tarja Halonen and described the visit as important and a source of pride.
Halonen shared positive views about Azerbaijan and emphasized the special role of culture in strengthening relations between the two countries. She noted that concerts, cultural events, and the promotion of Azerbaijan’s rich national cuisine can serve as effective tools to further develop ties.
During the meeting, Finland’s former ambassador to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, Kirsti Narinen, highlighted the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP29, held in Baku. She spoke about the successful initiatives carried out by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House during that period.
Then, teacher Sura Aghaverdiyeva discussed the importance of preserving the Azerbaijani language in Finland and passing it on to future generations, noting that the mother tongue is a key pillar of national identity for compatriots living abroad.
The event featured a video presentation about the activities of the Azerbaijan House. Classical and national music pieces were performed by young musician Mona Savojifar, coordinator for Finland of the Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis of Scandinavia, and Leyla Huseynova from the Helsinki Opera. Students of the Azerbaijan weekend school also impressed guests with performances in Azerbaijani and Finnish.
The meeting included discussions on further developing cooperation between the diasporas of the two countries.
The former president was gifted with Azerbaijani literary works translated into Finnish by writer and translator Tahira Jafarova, as well as special handmade items crafted by students of the Azerbaijan House.
Meanwhile, 32 Azerbaijan Houses currently operate in 20 countries around the world
