BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov, who is on a visit to Georgia, and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili took part in the foundation laying ceremony of the new building of the Tbilisi State Professional Azerbaijani Drama Theater named after Heydar Aliyev on October 27, TurkicWorld reports.

In his speech at the occasion, Prime Minister Ali Asadov emphasized that cultural relations founded on historical roots have allowed the Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples to live in conditions of friendship, good neighborliness, peace, and mutual understanding for millennia.

Both Azerbaijan and Georgia have historically handled our peoples' national and spiritual values, culture, language, religion, art, and literature with great respect and sympathy. Many famous Azerbaijani figures and great personalities lived and worked in Georgia, including Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Mirza Shafi Vazeh, and Fatali Khan Khoyski. Furthermore, many cultural and artistic luminaries, as well as renowned Georgian people, worked in Azerbaijan and made significant contributions to our social and cultural life.

Asadov noted that the beginning of the activity of the Tbilisi State Professional Azerbaijani Drama Theater in Tbilisi in 1872 can be noted as a historical confirmation.

"For many years of activity in the theater, immortal works of classic Georgian, Azerbaijani, and world literature have been staged on its stage with great success. Today, the Tbilisi State Professional Azerbaijani Drama Theater, named after the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, is getting a new breath, which is a historic event. We highly appreciate the decision to have the new theater building located in an important and beautiful corner of the city of Tbilisi," the prime minister said.

"During the leadership of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev has always shown a friendly attitude towards neighboring countries. During both periods of his leadership, Heydar Aliyev treated Georgia and the Georgian people with great respect and showed them special attention and care. We all remember well the strong friendship based on mutual trust between Heydar Aliyev, who repeatedly visited Georgia, and the then-leader of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze. Thanks to their leadership, solid foundations were laid for the development of relations between our countries in political, economic, cultural, humanitarian, and all other spheres," said Asadov.

"The political careers of both leaders were unique and remembered for similar historical events. Both of them, at the request of their peoples, continued their political activities for the second time as leaders of already independent countries. During the period of leadership of their countries, they, along with other spheres, treated with special attention, care, and sensitivity the national and spiritual values, language, religion, culture, art, and music of their peoples and did everything possible to protect and develop this heritage. I should also note that Heydar Aliyev was a great admirer of Georgian art, literature, music, and cinema," he said.

In addition, Asadov noted that in the modern period, President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili preserve historical traditions and protect the national interests of both independent countries developing along the path of democracy, leading both countries to even greater achievements.

The prime minister expressed hope that the professional creative team of this theater, the foundation of which is being laid, will make the most of The excellent conditions that will be created here, new projects, and performances will play an active role in the cultural life of Tbilisi. He noted that this will contribute to the strengthening of good-neighborly, friendly, and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia and the rapprochement of the two peoples.

"I am sure that this theater will not only become a worthy gift for lovers of culture and art, but will also give a special beauty to the appearance of the city of Tbilisi, which perfectly synthesizes history, antiquity, and modernity, and will turn into a cultural center of the capital of Georgia. It is significant that the foundation of the new building of this cultural center, named after Heydar Aliyev, was laid this year, when the 100th anniversary of the birth of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people is celebrated. A series of events were held in Georgia on the occasion of the glorious anniversary of Heydar Aliyev. On my own behalf, on behalf of the government and the people of Azerbaijan, I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the government, and the people of Georgia for respect and reverence for the bright memory of the great leader," Asadov said.

Moreover, the prime minister, noting that outstanding personalities of Georgia are treated with great respect and reverence in Azerbaijan, recalled that a memorial plaque in memory of the famous Georgian poet Nikoloz Baratashvili was recently installed in Ganja (the second largest city of Azerbaijan) in front of the building where he once lived and worked. At the same time, the Georgian State Drama Theater, operating in the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, was named after the great Georgian writer Ilia Chavchavadze.