The opening ceremony of the "Azerbaijani Language and Literature Exhibition" has been held at the library of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).

Co-organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan to China, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the School of Asian Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University, the event was held as part of a series of events marking the 650th anniversary of great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadeddin Nasimi.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice President of BFSU Yan Guohua said that China and Azerbaijan share a long intercourse history which can be traced back to the early stage of the Silk Road. “Under the "Belt and Road" initiative, the two countries have deepened cooperation on economy, politics and culture; the construction of Azerbaijani language in BFSU is inseparable from the solid support of Azerbaijan. Sincerely hope that two countries will further deepen the non-governmental exchanges and create a bright future,” he mentioned.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to China Akram Zeynalli said that under the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Azerbaijan have cooperation in many fields. He noted that the "Azerbaijani Language and Literature Exhibition" is the first Azerbaijani literary exhibition held in China, receiving great attention from both China and Azerbaijan. “Azerbaijan's literature has a long, brilliant and splendid history. A great number of outstanding poets have emerged in the history of Azerbaijani literature, one of the most outstanding of which is Nasimi. Nasimi's poetry is a milestone in the history of Azerbaijani literature. In order to commemorate Nasimi, 2019 is declared as the "Nasimi Year" in Azerbaijan. The two countries will jointly promote the construction of the Belt and Road and the all-round exchange in the fields of economy, politics culture and so on,” the diplomat stressed.

In his remarks, a famous scholar of Minzu University of China Professor Hu Zhenhua mentioned that both China and Azerbaijan are ancient civilizations with a long history and a culture of ambiguity. “In the literature unearthed from Dunhuang and Turfan, there is a record of Azerbaijan's worship of fire. "The Seven Beauties", the representative work in the Azerbaijani literature, also describes a Chinese beauty,” he said. The Chinese professor invited everyone to go to Azerbaijan to experience the charm of this country.

Director of the Department Central Asian and Caucasian region of the İnstitute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Zhang Ning pointed out that located in the grounding zone of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan has an important geographical and strategical position. “Azerbaijan is a secular country with inclusiveness and openness,” he said.

Then, the students majoring in Azerbaijani language highlighted the creativity of the great Azerbaijani poet Nasimi separately in Chinese, Azeri and English.

The event participants then viewed the exhibition.