Azerbaijani Culture Days in Cannes

By Day.Az

Cannes is holding arrangements devoted to Azerbaijani cultures again. The ancient French city, where many cultural events take place, is now decorated with banners and posters about Azerbaijan. Residents of the city and numerous tourists are informed about events devoted to Azerbaijan. Due to Azerbaijan Days, people will learn about our country in its various aspects – its history, music, literature, classical and modern art.

The Baku European Games 2015 were presented to participants of the event. It was stated that Azerbaijan has a rich cultural legacy. In a year it will host the First European Games.

The Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, noted that relations between Azerbaijan, the Caucasus purl, and Cannes, the Mediterranean purl, are developing. The Mayor said that it is the second time that Azerbaijani Culture Days is taking place in Cannes.

Address by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva

I am pleased to visit Cannes again. I welcome all of you from the bottom of my heart and express my deep gratitude for your presence this evening.

It is an honor for me to be an honored citizen of the city of Cannes, and I would like to express my respect to the beautiful city and its residents.

Just like in previous years we feel hospitability and friendship, and I express deep gratitude for attention and respect to our country to everybody who has helped us in our events, especially the Mayor of the City of Cannes, Mr. Linsnard.

Dear friends, today our meeting is devoted to a very significant event in the history of Azerbaijan – the upcoming first European Games in Baku in 2015. As you know by a resolution of the European Olympic Committee the first European Games will be held in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The resolution deeply satisfied the Azerbaijani people. I express my deep gratitude to all members of the president of the European Olympic Committee.

Despite the fact that the Olympic movement appeared and later was restored in Europe, the European Games have never been held before. It is a great honor and big responsibility for us, Azerbaijan to prepare and host the first European Games.

Today Azerbaijan is well-known in the world as a sporting power. The support of sport, the Olympic movement is one of directions of our state policy. After the restoration of our independence, since 1996 we participate in the Olympic Games; and our athletes have achieved big success in a short time. The number of medals is growing from Games to Games. In recent Olympic Games Azerbaijan won 10 medals and took the 15th place among the European countries, and the 30th place among all participants.

Our country pays a lot of attention to development of sporting infrastructure. During the last 10 years Azerbaijan has built more than 50 Olympic centers. In recent years the number of young people going in for sport is growing. And new prospects and opportunities are open to them.

Our country has also gained great experience in holding international sporting events. World and European championships in various kinds of sport are held in Baku. Last month the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship was conducted in Baku. Athletes and sporting community highly evaluated the championships and its organization.

Considering these facts – achievements of our athletes, sporting infrastructure, powerful support of sport by the state, and rapid development of our country in all spheres – the European Olympic Committee decided to hold the Games in Azerbaijan.

The European Games will open a new page in the sporting history of Europe. And the first Games will set a level of standards for the next tournaments. Even though Azerbaijan has only two years to prepare for the Games, we intend to hold the Games at the level of the Olympic Games. We do our best, the Organizational Committee is working hard. We closely cooperate with international structures, the European Olympic Committee. We use numerous volunteers. I hope that the first European Games will be held in the context of fair and sound competition, friendship and solidarity.

Dear friends, taking this opportunity, I would like to invite you to our country. I hope when you will be guests of the first European Games, you will learn about the history and culture of Azerbaijan, its architectural monuments, and traditions which connect the East and the West.

Today Azerbaijan is one of world centers of tolerance and multiculturalism. For centuries representatives of various peoples and religions have peacefully lived and worked in our countries in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual trust, and peace. And today we preserve our traditions, roots, history and respect the world cultural variety.

Dear friends, we will present the first European Games in various cities of Europe. But the first presentation is made in France, in Cannes, and it is not an accident. France is a leading country of Europe, a center of pan-human countries. The state has achieved great success in sport. It is also a friendly state to Azerbaijan. I am glad that contacts between our countries in the humanitarian sphere have reached a new level. In various cities of France arrangements on promotion of Azerbaijan are held. A year ago in Cannes, Azerbaijani Culture Days were held with great interest. Cities of Azerbaijan and France sign various agreements, and I hope in the future one of Azerbaijan's cities will be a sister town of Cannes.

Dear friends, at the end my speech, I would like to remind you that in 1896, due to the outstanding French social activist, tutor, writer baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic movement was restored. Since that time the Olympic ideals, the Olympic philosophy has connected people, nations, states; it builds bridges, establishes peace, calm and friendship between us. I hope that the upcoming first European Games in Azerbaijan will contribute to an improvement of values

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A video presentation of the Baku-2015 European Games took place at the event. Detailed information on the work, constructed sporting facilities and sessions held by the chairlady of the Organizational Committee of the European Games, Mehriban Aliyeva, was presented.

Later there was a firework display accompanied by music of Azerbaijani composers.

It is less than a year before the opening of the first European Games.