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Culture | Public Affairs | Business

25 YEARS ON

KHOJALY VICTIMS – NEVER FORGOTTEN PERPETRATORS – NEVER FORGIVEN

Photo: Aynur Badalova

Also in this issue: Karabakh-Collection by Leonie Mergen touches down on the runway Ali and Nino moves a European Parliament audience Flare-up in ‘contact line’ violence claims five young Azerbaijani lives Developments in mugham outlined at SOAS UN Secretary-General disparages the term ‘frozen conflict’ 03 / 2017

03 / 2017

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Enter the TEAS competition and win £100 of Amazon vouchers

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Welcome to the TEAS Magazine The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) is a UK-registered pan-European foundation dedicated to raising awareness of Azerbaijan and fostering closer economic, political and cultural links between that country and the nations of Europe.

As well as promoting the positive aspects of Azerbaijan, TEAS also highlights the plight of the 875,000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the country. These people are unable to return to their homes and lands because of the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts by Armenia’s armed forces – in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions.

TEAS has three main facets to its operations: • Culture – TEAS raises awareness of Azerbaijan’s rich and vibrant culture to a worldwide audience by organising cultural events and operating as a networking centre.

• Business – TEAS supports its membership of European and Azerbaijani businesses. It provides a platform for organisations to establish links and strengthen their existing business relationships via a programme of networking opportunities across the regions.

• Public Affairs – TEAS works to increase awareness about Azerbaijan amongst key opinionformers, key decision-makers and other political, academic and civil society stakeholders.

In pursuit of its objectives TEAS: • Organises meetings with interested parties, opinion-formers and decision-makers • Arranges roundtables, seminars, lectures and conferences • Publishes pamphlets, reports, bulletins, books and produces films • Facilitates fact-finding trips by politicians and business people.

Facebook

The TEAS Facebook page is your chance to learn about the latest news, events, campaigns and other Azerbaijan-related items. Visit and ‘like’ our page at: http://bit.ly/TEASFB.

Membership and Sponsorship TEAS offers a range of corporate and individual membership packages, providing such benefits as advertising, trade missions, networking, business sector advice and hotel discounts.

TEAS also offers numerous sponsorship opportunities throughout the year for its events and conferences. To find out more, e-mail: membership@ teas.eu.

Win £100 of Amazon vouchers!

Firstly, our congratulations go to Aynur Badalova, Legal Assistant, Expert-SM Ltd., International Law and Consulting Company, winner of the competition in the January 2017 edition.

To stand a chance of winning £100 of Amazon vouchers, simply answer the following 10 questions, the answers to which will be found in this issue of the magazine. In the case of a tie, a draw will be made. Previous winners are ineligible to enter, as are TEAS employees and their families. Please send all entries to editor@teas.eu by 17.00hrs (GMT) on 7 April: 1.

2.

3.

4.

How many Khojaly commemorative events did TEAS organise or co-organise across Europe?

Who composed the tone poem Khojaly 613?

Which Azerbaijani artist’s works were showcased at the commemorative event in Berlin?

Which German photographer captured the faces of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) for his Five Roads Back Home project?

5. In which room in the UK Parliament were the prizes for the Khojaly Peace Prize for Art awarded?

6. Which new composition by pianist Nezrin Efendiyeva was dedicated to the Khojaly victims and premiered during the commemoration in Luxembourg?

7. Which Lithuanian journalist is featured in the Khojaly documentary Endless Corridor?

8. Who is the featured violinist on the CD issue of the Khojaly 613 tone poem?

9. Who is the designer of the new Karabakh-Collection fashion line?

10. To which author is the story Ali and Nino attributed?

Upcoming Event For full details of all TEAS events, go to www.teas.eu/upcomingevents 12 April Screening: Young Voices, Ancient Song (Paris) 19.30hrs Cinéma L’Entrepôt, 7/9 rue Françis Pressensé, 75014 Paris RSVP to paris@teas.eu Programmed as part of the annual L’Europe autour de l’Europe festival, this TEAS film, directed by Jeffrey Werbock, President, Mugham Society of America, is being showcased alongside works old and new by such great cineastes as Carlos Saura, Jean-Luc Godard, Volker Schlöndorff and Andrej Wajda.

Having learned that many young Azerbaijanis, including small children, are capable of performing the most sophisticated form of Azerbaijani national music, known as mugham, Jeffrey organised an expedition to Azerbaijan to interview and film the remarkable phenomenon of young mugham singers and instrumentalists. The children of Karabakh – currently under Armenian occupation – are regarded as being particularly talented at performing this complex art form. This fascinating and emotional documentary depicts the young Azerbaijanis and their devotion to keeping mugham alive.

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Khojaly around Europe From the TEAS Director

During the month of February, Azerbaijanis throughout the world remembered the tragedy of the Khojaly Massacre on the 25th anniversary of that gruesome event.

TEAS held 11 events throughout Europe on or around the anniversary, consisting of concerts, art exhibitions, photographic exhibitions and film screenings. All of these events were dignified and peaceful, apart from the concert at the Église Saint‑Roch in Paris, where a band of Armenian thugs tried to prevent people attending and to cause the abandonment of the concert.

They failed miserably.

In an attempt to overshadow the 25th anniversary commemoration for Khojaly, the Armenian armed forces launched a barrage of artillery and mortar fire from the occupied territories. Sadly five Azerbaijani soldiers were killed, and retaliatory strikes were launched.

Glamour was at the forefront when Leonie Mergen showcased her KarabakhCollection at London Fashion Week, following its unveiling during the MercedesBenz Fashion Week in Berlin. Leonie was subsequently interviewed by the BBC, AzTv and a host of enthusiastic fashion bloggers at the glittering afterparty.

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conflict’ in relation to Nagorno-Karabakh was inappropriate. How right he is.

Lionel Zetter Director, TEAS

The European premiere of the feature film Ali and Nino was held in the European Parliament in Brussels. This is both an action movie and a love story, and tells the story of the romance between an Azerbaijani man and a Georgian woman during the tumultuous time of of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic which lasted from 1918–20.

Finally, the new UN Secretary-General António Guterres went out of his way to stress that the use of the term ‘frozen

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS

25th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre remembered around Europe The 2017 Khojaly Massacre commemorations were more extensive than ever before, as this year marked the 25 th anniversary of this tragic occurrence – the single worst atrocity of the Armenian– Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, when 613 civilians –

Athens

The event on 2 March was held in Athens in the Megaron Concert Hall amidst the state-of-the-art Lillian Voudouri Great Music Library, and was organised by TEAS Strasbourg and the Azerbaijani Embassy to the Hellenic Republic, within the international Justice for Khojaly campaign.

It commemorated the victims of the Khojaly

including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people – were brutally killed. This year, TEAS organised or co-organised 12 events across Europe in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the UK.

Massacre, which occurred on 26 February 1992. The library is a fulcrum for music specialists and aficionados in Greece.

Throughout this evocative and emotional evening, the overwhelming sense was of loss and the umbilical connection of Khojaly, part of Nagorno-Karabakh, with Azerbaijani

music. Many of the greatest Azerbaijani classical composers – all of whom combined the microtones of mugham with western classical music – were born or had familial connections to Nagorno-Karabakh. The father of Fikret Amirov was a khanende (mugham singer) from Shusha, NagornoKarabakh, and this was evident in his

Violinist Nazrin Rashidova keeps clarinettist Anna Gagane firmly in her eyeline during a performance of the emotive tone poem Khojaly 613

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Khojaly around Europe

emotional Elegie, performed by the RheinQuartett, a chamber ensemble comprising musicians from across Europe.

The octogenarian Azerbaijani composer Khayyam Mirzazade graduated from Azerbaijan State Conservatoire in 1957, where he studied under Gara Garayev and thereafter continued to teach. From 1969–83, he was master of composition cathedra at Azerbaijan State Conservatoire.

The work performed in Athens was a setting of the plaintive traditional song Berzeni.

Enrique Granados – himself a victim of the First World War – was a Spanish pianist and composer of classical music in a uniquely Hispanic style. Composed in 1890, Orientale is one of the 12 pieces comprising his Danzas Españolas (Spanish Dances), and was particularly sublime and evocative.

The concert continued on with the undeniably emotive Azad Bir Qusudum, composed

by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli – whose parents were from Shusha – after a poem by Jafar Jabbarli.

The concert concluded with Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, a tone poem representing the horrors of that fateful night. This harnessed the power of violin, clarinet and string quartet to evoke the sounds of marching, screams and machine-gun fire, incorporating folk music themes to devastating effect. It featured Azerbaijani violinist Nazrin Rashidova, Latvian clarinettist Anna Gagane and the Rhein-Quartett. All audience members were given a CD of this outstanding contemporary work.

H.E. Rahman Mustafayev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, commented: “How could such a horrible crime as that perpetrated in Khojaly in February 1992 take place, yet never be recognised? The answer is simple –

throughout the 20th century, the Armenian side has never taken responsibility for its crimes against the Azerbaijani people.

Azerbaijan is striving to bring the truth about the Khojaly tragedy to the international community, and to secure political and legal assessments of this massacre from governments and parliaments around the world.

“We must be united in condemning this crime. This is of great importance, not only for the memory of the Azerbaijani citizens who were killed and brutally tortured, but also for the peoples of the world. It is extremely important that such tragedies should not be permitted to recur.

“We must also be united in the fight against the ideology of nationalism and national exclusiveness, because it is this ideology that serves as the breeding ground for terror, ethnic cleansing and military aggression, such as that facing Azerbaijan.

“Taking this opportunity, I urge you and, through you, the citizens and the parliament of the Hellenic Republic, not to stand apart from the international Justice for Khojaly campaign and to support it.

Ioannis Papagrigoriou, President, Hellenic Azerbaijani Youth Centre, remarked: “It has been an honour for us to participate in this international campaign to bring recognition of the need to achieve justice for the people in Khojaly who lost their lives 25 years ago. In Greece, we are very sensitive to this issue.”

Speaking before the audience of 150 politicians, VIPs and press representatives, Eliza Pieter, Head, TEAS Strasbourg, explained: “This event is designed to help us remember that man can be inhumane, and that war has terrible consequences. The concert performed tonight is an ode for peace between nations. It is not a cry for revenge; it is a

There was standing room only during the event in Athens

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cry for justice. It is in that spirit that I invite you to listen to the music – in the spirit of peace and justice.”

Pierre Thilloy, French composer of the tone poem Khojaly 613, took to the stage and explained the origins of his creation: “I have been travelling to Azerbaijan for the last 20 years, and when you do so, naturally you make friends. Friendship is about sharing your friend’s joys but also his sorrows, and that is why I felt compelled to compose about the tragedy of Khojaly.

When I wrote this piece Khojaly 613, one can say I was like this dark bird flying over Khojaly on that fateful night in February 1992, and that bird saw everything and retold it through music.”

Subsequently, on 24 February, Mrs Pieter participated in the Khojaly commemoration organised by the Azerbaijani Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe.

Hosted at the Hilton Hotel in Strasbourg, H.E. Emin Eyyubov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Council of Europe called upon Mrs Pieter to outline the story behind Khojaly 613 and present the related CD.

In Strasbourg, Eliza Pieter outlined the background to the Khojaly 613 composition and then presented the recently-produced CD

French composer Pierre Thilloy explains the motivation behind his tone poem Khojaly 613, alongside Eliza Pieter, Director, TEAS Strasbourg

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Khojaly around Europe

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Berlin

On 25 February, a landmark exhibition opened at the Galerie Schultz – one of the most prestigious contemporary art galleries in Berlin – dedicated to the victims of the Khojaly Massacre. The exhibition saw the renowned Azerbaijani artist Ashraf Geibatov unveil his latest creations, all of which represent aspects of the Khojaly Massacre. He has been professionally active since 1981, and has exhibited far and wide, including the NATO Headquarters in Brussels; the Palais des Nations at the UN in Geneva; and the Vatican. He applies his art to the enhancement of international understanding, and is famous for capturing the soul of Azerbaijan.

The eponymous gallerist Michael Schultz, host of this exhibition, intersperses exhibitions by such famous artists as Andy Warhol and Gerhard Richter with exhibiting rising stars from the art scene, being known by the international contemporary artistic cognoscenti as ‘Berlin’s best nose for young art.’

The event took place under the auspices of the Justice for Khojaly campaign. Speaking to over 300 guests, including leading political and media figures, Tale Heydarov, Chairman, TEAS, explained: “It is an immense pleasure to welcome the audience, including H.E. Ramin Hasanov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Germany; especially Professor Hans-Joachim Heintze, Institute for International Law

Some of this disturbing art is tinted red – the colour of Khojaly blood

of Peace and Armed Conflict and, of course Ashraf Geibatov, the artist, whose paintings have brought us together this evening. The interaction between a great artist like Mr Geibatov and such an internationally successful gallerist as Mr Schultz have resulted in an exhibition that embraces the humanitarian tragedy of the Khojaly Massacre which occurred 25 years ago, and sensitively draws attention to the destiny of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose lives continue to be impacted by the conflict and have one overwhelming wish – to return home.”

Azerbaijani artist Ashraf Geibatov explains the creative process behind his new collection of expressionistic artworks representing aspects of the Khojaly Massacre

Tale Heydarov, Chairman and Founder, TEAS gives his reaction to the extraordinary artistic representations

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Khojaly around Europe

Bern

The event on 22 February was held in the centre of the Swiss capital Bern in the 150-year-old Bellevue Palace, amidst the stunning Bernese Alps. It was organised by TEAS under the auspices of the Justice for Khojaly campaign. The venue was the official guesthouse of the Swiss government, which remains the accommodation of choice for politicians, diplomats and celebrities alike.

The concert featured Nazrin Rashidova, Anna Gagane and the Rhein-Quartett. All audience members were given a CD of Pierre Thilloy’s tone poem Khojaly 613, which concluded the concert.

H.E. Akram Zeynalli, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, informed the audience about the Justice for Khojaly campaign initiated by Mrs Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Partly as a result of this campaign, many parliaments across the world have already recognised the Khojaly Massacre as a war crime, and the Ambassador urged Swiss parliamentarians to follow suit. He further commented: “Every year, in February, the Khojaly Massacre reminds us that justice should prevail, that all those responsible should

Brussels

After touring the world for the past four years, the outstanding exhibition Five Roads Back Home – showcasing the work of renowned German photographer Philipp Rathmer – finally came to Brussels, the capital of the EU, on 22 February. The images were displayed in the art nouveaustyled Art Thema Gallery, which has been a leading art space in Brussels for over three decades, located near the stunning Grand Place. They feature a cross-section of some of the estimated one million Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees. They are the ongoing victims of the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, and these impressive and emotionally charged images

The evocative, mugham-inflected music of Fikret Amirov stunned the audience into silence

be brought to justice, and that peace should be established in this land.”

Speaking before the audience of more than 100 politicians, VIPs and press representatives, Eliza Pieter, Head, TEAS Strasbourg, explained: “This event tonight is designed to help us remember that man can be inhumane, and that war has terrible consequences – particularly for the civilians swept up in it. It also highlights the fact that the perpetrators of the massacre at Khojaly and in other places in the region are known. It is designed to further the campaign to bring them to justice.”

focus on their faces in stark closeup, set against a black background.

Marc Verwilghen, Director, TEAS Benelux, commented: “I asked a lawyer, specialising in International Penal Law, for his advice.

He concluded that successful judicial action against the perpetrators is possible, even before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

“The refugees and IDPs are still housed in camps across the country. In a nation of 9.7m people, this amounts to one of the highest levels of displacement per capita in the world. These are people with no

Before the musicians performed the work Khojaly 613, its French composer, Pierre Thilloy, took to the stage and explained: “I am not a politician; I am not a diplomat. I am trying to express, through music, what cannot be expressed through words. I am hopeful that peace will come.

“Justice demands that the four UN Security Council resolutions instructing Armenia to withdraw its occupying forces should be implemented. Justice also demands that Armenia should be sanctioned for defying the resolutions, and for the occupation of its neighbour’s territory.”

voice, who are unable to return to their homes and lands because of the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions by Armenia’s armed forces – in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions and of 23 years of OSCE Minsk Group negotiations.

In defiance of all this… there is still no progress!”

Mr Rathmer explained his methodology: “Nagorno-Karabakh is one of the world’s forgotten conflicts. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan developed into a war in 1992 that killed thousands of people.

Now, 25 years on, the conflict is far from

The Art Thema Gallery – dominated by the megalithic IDP photos by Philipp Rathmer – was full to capacity

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Photographer Philipp Rathmer (left) recalled the human tragedies that he uncovered in three IDP camps during his visit in 2012

over. A ceasefire secures a fragile peace.

These IDPs suffer the consequences to this day. In 2012, I visited some of the ordinary victims of this unresolved conflict in their camps. The people told me of their fate, their hopes and their fears – some very candidly, some with a certain reticence.

“These photos show one side of the conflict – the side that had to flee and give up their homes. They represent all those who are displaced in the world’s many wars. One aspiration was common to all – they wanted to take one of the five roads leading back to the occupied regions – one of the Five Roads Back Home.”

H.E. Fuad Isgandarov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and

the EU, reflected: “Today we commemorate 25 years since the Khojaly tragedy.

This was a massacre that changed so many things for all Azerbaijanis. It is regrettable to reiterate, once more, that the perpetrators of this atrocity are known and still unpunished. We do believe that a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is possible. However, we miss a clear engagement from the Armenian side.

“I am very glad that the TEAS Benelux office is organising this unique exhibition in the heart of Europe, in Brussels, where all Europeans should learn about what happened 25 years ago in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. I also hope that all Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs from Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven

surrounding regions will soon be able to return home, using one of the five roads to which photographer Philipp Rathmer refers in his work.”

The evening concluded with a performance of contemplative music by pianist, composer and singer-songwriter Nezrin Efendiyeva, the granddaughter of Fikret Amirov, one of the foremost Azerbaijani composers, who often combined the microtones of mugham from the occupied Karabakh region with the western classical tradition. She is also the great-granddaughter of Mashadi Jamil Amirov, a khanende (mugham singer) and tar player from Shusha, the cultural hub of Nagorno-Karabakh, who also composed the 1915 opera Seyfal mulk, amongst other works.

Geneva

Violinist Nazrin Rashidova led the Rhein-Quartett in a performance of Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, which was received in rapt, reverent silence

Held on 21 February, the Geneva commemoration was organised

by TEAS in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations (UN) Office and other international organisations in Geneva. The concert was hosted amidst the 19th century surroundings of the neoclassical Palais de l’Athénée to commemorate the victims of past and ongoing wars around the world.

This concert featured Azerbaijani violinist Nazrin Rashidova, Anna Gagane, and the Rhein-Quartett. It was held in the presence of about 150 representatives from international organisations, the media, civil society and the diplomatic community.

H.E. Ambassador Vaqif Sadiqov, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva opened the event. He recalled the role of the UN in preventing armed conflicts and in maintaining international peace 03 / 2017

and security. He commented: “After the end of the Second World War, when the UN was created, the international community thought that it would be possible to build a world without conflicts, which unfortunately is not the case, as we can see today.

“As we look at past and ongoing wars, including the war in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, my fellow citizens remember the Khojaly Massacre, the saddest episode of recent Azerbaijani history, which reminds us that civilians are the first victims of armed conflicts. We have to learn the lessons of the past. This is why, tonight, we commemorate all victims of wars and armed conflicts; so that tragic events like the Khojaly Massacre never happen again.”

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS explained: “As Director of TEAS, it would be remiss of me not to mention the ongoing war in NagornoKarabakh and, in particular, I need to highlight the massacre in www.teas.eu

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Khojaly around Europe

the town of Khojaly. No two conflicts are ever identical, and each new war takes on its own gruesome personality. One thing they all seem to have in common, however, is that the innocent civilians caught up in them suffer the most.”

The concert concluded with Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, a tone poem representing the horrors of that fateful night. The composer commented: “The Khojaly events made me understand what it means to be an artist committed to a cause. Now, the impact of Khojaly 613 has grown beyond me, and it is so powerful to make people think about what happened 25 years ago in this small town, and to convince them that it is time to look for peace.”

Ambassador Vaqif Sadiqov recalled that civilians are always the first casualties of war

London

This year, London played host to two major commemorative events – the Khojaly Peace Prize for Art in the Westminster Parliament and the Khojaly 25 th Anniversary Commemoration Concert at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. Both were covered

by AzTV and by London Live TV, which has an average daily reach of 265,000 viewers across London and the South-East (BARB, 16–22 January 2017).

The second edition of the Khojaly Peace Prize for Art – organised by the Justice for Khojaly campaign, under the auspices of TEAS – seeks to represent the horrors of the tragedy through art. Launched in 2016, and now in its second year, this prize continues to channel the thoughtful creativity of art students living in the UK. The prizes were awarded on 22 February amidst the historic surroundings of the Strangers’ Dining Room in the House of Commons before a gathering of over 100 multinational Londoners. Selected from over 70 entrants, the judging panel for the art prize comprised the Rt Hon Baroness Sayeeda Warsi; Baroness Zahida Manzoor; Bob Blackman MP, Chair, Azerbaijan AllParty Parliamentary Group (APPG); Sabina Rakcheyeva, Cultural Advisor, TEAS; and Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS. Jack Pegoraro, Director, TEAS London, commented: “During the Armenian– Azerbaijani conflict, all ethnic Azerbaijanis were either killed or forced to flee NagornoKarabakh and the seven surrounding

Winning entrant Louisa Marriott, a student at the Norwich University of the Arts, poses with her painting Tranquillity of Movement, alongside (right) second prizewinner Tae Eun Ahn for her In the Morning and (left) third prizewinner Ming Ying for Don’t Be Submerged

regions. One of the defining moments was on 26 February when 613 unarmed civilians – men, women and children – were killed by invading Armenian forces. It is now the 25 th anniversary of this tragedy, and no-one has been brought to justice. The purpose of events like today is to commemorate the victims and to ensure that such tragedies never recur.”

Baroness Zahida Manzoor, host of the event, stated: “I was one of the judges of the competition. During my visit to Azerbaijan, with some other members of the Azerbaijani APPG, I was very privileged to meet some of the IDPs from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It was terrible to hear some of their very sad stories. Despite the terror they had experienced, there was hope, love and

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi discusses one of the shortlisted artworks with the artist

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harmony. They were seeking peace and resolution for the future. I was deeply moved and touched by those experiences.

“Hosting this event is very meaningful – it is about the future of humanity. When we see such atrocities around the world, we must speak up and share our thoughts. By speaking with one voice, we can address those issues with which we don’t agree.

“All these paintings show some element of hope. In some, you can see the peace and love. In others, you can see eyes that are full of despair and sadness. Other paintings depict the wings of the Dove of Peace, as we all share the same humanity and seek to move forward. It has been very difficult to decide on the winners of the Khojaly Peace Prize for Art, but all the paintings spoke of the need for resolution and peace.”

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi announced the prize-winners. First place was taken by British-born Louisa Marriott, a student at the Norwich University of the Arts, for her painting Tranquillity of Movement. In her acceptance speech, she commented: “My art is very political, and I want it to push towards change and positively affect the world. My painting commemorates the 63 children who died in Khojaly, but their faces are those of today’s refugees. Hopefully it will help us become more compassionate to the plight of refugees.” www.teas.eu

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Competition judge Baroness Zahida Manzoor, host of the Khojaly Peace Prize for Art in the Westminster Parliament, recalled her visits to Azerbaijani IDP camps with great sorrow

The ancient church was full to capacity with multinational Londoners, and the atmosphere was reverent and welcoming

Two days later, the Khojaly 25 th Anniversary Commemoration Concert was held amidst the 17th century surroundings of the Inigo Jones-designed neoclassical surroundings of St. Paul’s Church (the Actors’ Church) in Covent Garden, again organised under the auspices of the Justice for Khojaly campaign. A capacity audience of around 300 cosmopolitan London-based music aficionados attended the concert, which featured some of the most renowned Azerbaijani classical musicians and vocalists living in London.

operatic masterpiece Sevil, her haunting voice sending chills down the collective spines of the attentive and silent audience members.

The concert began with the music of Fikret Amirov, who synthesised the microtones of mugham with western classical music.

This was overwhelmingly evident in five of his Miniatures, as performed by pianist Gunel Mirzayeva. Soprano Seljan Nasibli then gave an impassioned rendition of Sevil’s Lament from Amirov’s 1953

One unforgettable moment saw the ancient church bell chime during the violin solo, and for a second this was transformed into a death knell. As the music ebbed away, clarinettist Anna stood at the back of the church, providing the audience with an aural experience that was both moving and mesmerising. All audience members

Luxembourg

Both pianist Ayyan Salahova and cellist Jamal Aliyev performed popular and contemplative works by Chopin and Rachmaninoff, and the concert concluded with Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, featuring violinist Nazrin Rashidova, clarinettist Anna Gagane and the French chamber music ensemble Quatuor Chagall.

The event on 23 February was hosted in Luxembourg, a country that has experienced many invasions over the centuries – most notably twice during the 20 th century – and has great solidarity with the plight of Azerbaijan. It took place in the centre of the city in the Hotel Le Royal and was organised by TEAS Benelux, within the Justice for Khojaly campaign.

known and have to be brought to justice.

We believe that successful judicial action against those responsible is possible, even before the ICC in The Hague. Nearly one million Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees are still housed in camps across the country. In a nation of 9.7 million people, this amounts to one of the highest levels of displacement per capita in the world.”

Speaking before the audience of 130 politicians, VIPs, students and press representatives, Marc Verwilghen, Director, TEAS Benelux, explained: “The Armenian perpetrators of this atrocity are well-

H.E. Fuad Isgandarov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, recalled that the Khojaly Massacre was a terrible atrocity. He said: “Azerbaijan is renowned for its tolerance, rich cultural

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Soprano Seljan Nasibli performed an emotional rendition of Sevil’s Lament from Amirov’s 1953 operatic masterpiece Sevil

were given a CD of this outstanding contemporary work.

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS, commented: “This event tonight is designed to help us remember that man can be inhumane, and that war has terrible consequences – particularly for the civilians swept up in it. It is also designed to highlight the fact that the perpetrators of the massacre at Khojaly and in other places in the region have been identified.

“Justice demands that the four UN Security Council resolutions instructing Armenia to withdraw its occupying forces should be implemented. Justice also demands that Armenia should be sanctioned for defying these resolutions, and for its occupation of its neighbour’s territory. Please believe me, ladies and gentlemen, there will be Justice for Khojaly – in this life or the next.”

heritage and European values. I am glad to say that the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic introduced universal suffrage in Azerbaijan in 1918, thus making Azerbaijan the first Muslim-majority country ever to enfranchise women. This is just one of many examples of Azerbaijani pro-European orientation. The 613 victims from Khojaly were not only Azerbaijani, they were also European!”

The concert featured pianist, composer and singer-songwriter Nezrin Efendiyeva, alongside Spanish violinist Marie-Carmen Suarez and the Moroccan-born Belgian www.teas.eu

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flautist Astrid Gallez. The evening began with Fikret Amirov’s mellifluous Lullaby, performed as a piano solo by Nezrin, and the programme included an arrangement for flute and piano of Amirov’s evocative piece Elegy, together with Nezrin’s own arrangement of the Azerbaijani folk song Lachin, which originated in the occupied regions.

Shostakovich – the Adagio and Most Beautiful of the Beauties.

The concert also included her arrangements of two of the most serene sequences from the score of The Seven Beauties Ballet

by Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev, a protégé of Dmitri

The concert also included contemplative works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Jacques Ibert, Alessandro Marcello, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Tommaso Albinoni and Sergei Rachmaninov.

Ambassador Isgandarov reminded all attendees of the pro-European stance of Azerbaijan and that the massacre equated to a killing of European citizens

Pianist Nezrin Efendiyeva performed an inspired repertoire of Azerbaijani and Western music, alongside violinist Marie-Carmen Suarez and flautist Astrid Gallez, including the premiere of In Memoriam, Nezrin’s own Khojaly-inspired work

Paris

Despite the significance of 26 February 2017 as the actual date of the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, a group of extremist Armenians in Paris demonstrated their intransigence with a violent protest outside the Église SaintRoch, the concert venue. The protesters made a serious attempt to besiege the church and stop participants from attending the concert. One elderly lady struggling to access the church was thrown to the ground by Armenian thugs.

Although the Armenian chanting was audible before the concert began, it was easily drowned out by the beautiful music and the enthusiastic applause of the audience. Altogether, over 300 people, including H.E. Elchin Amirbayov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France; H.E. Anar Karimov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to UNESCO; and MP Jean-François Mancel,

The highlight of the concert was the world premiere of Nezrin’s emotionally-charged composition In Memoriam, written for the concert for a piano and violin duet, and dedicated to the victims of the Khojaly Massacre.

President of the Association of the Friends of Azerbaijan, attended the concert.

It was held in the late Baroque Église Saint-Roch in the First Arrondissement of Paris. The church itself has experienced the rigours of gunfire over the centuries, the façade being scarred with the physical evidence of the French Revolution. It is also fitting that it became known as the Polish Church in the 19th century, having become a focal point for exiled Poles living in Paris, evoking parallels with Azerbaijan, which houses an estimated one million refugees and IDPs from Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions.

The concert was performed by the Quatuor Chagall, a chamber music ensemble drawn from the ranks of l’Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse,

concluding with Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, a tone poem representing the horrors of that fateful night. This featured Nazrin Rashidova, clarinettist Anna Gagane, and the Quatuor Chagall. All audience members were given a CD of this piece.

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS, commented: “I apologise for the late running of this concert. The final work on the programme is Khojaly 613, an excellent piece which commemorates the Khojaly Massacre victims, whose sacrifices we remember this evening.”

Marie-Laetitia Gourdin, Director, TEAS France, observed: “Music expresses that which cannot be enunciated, when it is impossible to remain silent. Whilst the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh raged, those invading the town of Khojaly massacred the

Despite the violent protests and chanting, the atmosphere remained contemplative inside the Église Saint-Roch (Photos: Stylin’ Co)

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Khojaly around Europe

Ambassador Amirbayov led the standing ovation, alongside Ambassador Karimov and Lionel Zetter

Despite the attempts by vituperative Franco-Armenians to cause its cancellation, over 300 music-lovers and friends of Azerbaijan attended the commemoration concert in Paris

inhabitants of the town as they tried to escape the onslaught, abandoning their houses and possessions. Altogether, 613 people died that night – men, women, children and elderly people.

“This sad war crime recalls that inflicted by the Nazis on the inhabitants of the village of Oradour-sur-Glane which, in 1944, was destroyed following the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

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Latvian clarinettist Anna Gagane delivered a pained interpretation of the clarinet part

have waited for 25 years to return to their lands in NagornoKarabakh and the seven surrounding regions that are still occupied by Armenian troops. This amounts to approximately 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territory.

“To this day, thousands of people remain displaced, leaving their families without news and without hope.

“In each armed conflict, the civilians are the first victims. This evening will pay homage through music to the men and women who paid with their lives, and those who await peace returning to their land, when Azerbaijan and Armenia can live afresh in peace and as neighbours.”

“The tragedies of today should not lead us to forget those of yesterday. The fact that there are millions of refugees today should not make us forget the thousands of Azerbaijanis who

The concert concluded with a standing ovation, as the audience expressed their appreciation of the music, and their contempt for the attempts to bar their access and to disrupt the concert.

Prague On 27 February, the multi-award-winning independent documentary Endless Corridor – a US/Lithuanian co-production – was screened in the art nouveau-style Lucerna Cinema in Prague. Opened 110 years ago, this is the leading ‘art cinema’ in the Czech capital and is located just steps away from Wenceslas Square – an area that was central to demonstrations against Nazi and Soviet domination, and particularly the Velvet Revolution of 1989 that culminated in the attainment of Czech independence.

The screening was organised within the Justice for Khojaly campaign and with the support of the Azerbaijani Embassy to the Czech Republic.

Endless Corridor received praise from international critics after being screened throughout 2015–16. After receiving the Best of Show Award from the prestigious Accolade Global Film Competition in the US, it was awarded the Best Documentary and Best Director for a Documentary Prizes at the Tenerife International Film Festival in Madrid; and the Best Documentary Editing Prize at the Milano International Filmmakers Festival. It has also been screened on the pan-European Eurochannel, Israeli Channel 1, CNN Turk, Turkish TV 24, London Live and Al-Jazeera channels.

Ambassador Shafiyev outlined the ongoing volatility on the ‘contact line’

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Speaking before the audience of 170 parliamentarians, journalists, humanitarians, friends of Azerbaijan and cinephiles, Roman Huna, Head, TEAS Benelux, welcomed the attendees. H.E. Farid Shafiyev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to

Journalist Ricardas Lapaitis – whose testimony is central to Endless Corridor ­– reiterated calls for the Khojaly perpetrators to pay for their crimes

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Khojaly around Europe

the Czech Republic, commented: “The Khojaly Massacre was the worst event in modern Azerbaijani history. Two days ago, fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces reignited in the region. The Khojaly Massacre does not belong to the past – and this violence reminds us that justice has not been done. We want to remind people in the Czech Republic that Azerbaijanis have suffered great losses.

“Speaking as someone who has roots in Karabakh, I can say that we want to return to our homeland and visit the graves of our ancestors, and to live in peace with our neighbours. I congratulate the journalist Ricardas Lapaitis, who had the courage to make this film amidst an international environment that can be hostile, or receptive to only one version of history.”

Vojtěch Filip, Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, stated: “Tonight we commemorate the Khojaly Massacre, one of the saddest occurrences during the NagornoKarabakh war. We can and must not forget this atrocity.

Unfortunately, Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees are still unable to return to their homes and lands because of the illegal occupation of the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions by Armenia’s armed forces. Despite four UN Security Council Resolutions, there is still no progress.”

Lionel Zetter, Director, TEAS explained: “To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Khojaly, over the past week, TEAS has organised photographic exhibitions, concerts and documentary

Vilnius

Lithuania has long held solidarity with Azerbaijan, having been the first former Soviet Republic to declare its independence on 11 March 1990. This was less than two months after the Black January uprising in Baku attempted to overthrow Soviet rule. It is also notable that journalist Ricardas Lapaitis – whose return to Azerbaijan is recounted in the award-winning Khojaly documentary Endless Corridor – and Aleksandras Brokas, director of that film, are both Lithuanian.

The event on 20 February, held within the 18 th century surroundings of the neoclassical Vilnius Town Hall, comprised a rich and evocative mix of Azerbaijani and Lithuanian classical music.

The opening work, Qemgin mahni (Sad Song) was by Tofiq Guliyev, based on mugham themes, and sung by Lithuanian

screenings like tonight in London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Bern, Geneva, Athens, Vilnius and right across Europe.

“Last night we were in Paris for a peace concert in a church.

Very angry, aggressive Armenians besieged the church and unsuccessfully tried to stop the concert from going ahead. I am pleased to say that it was a great success. Endless Corridor really brings alive the events of that terrible night of 25–26 February 1992. I join Ambassador Shafiyev in paying tribute to Ricardas Lapaitis for his work and participating in the film, which brings the massacre to the attention of the world, and Europe in particular.”

Lithuanian journalist Ricardas Lapaitis – an eyewitness to the massacre, whose return journey to Khojaly is central to the film – vividly recalled: “Armenia itself has confirmed its responsibility for perpetrating the events in Khojaly because the order to attack was faxed on 25 February at 20.50hrs. The Armenian Defence Ministry then confirmed that its forces were ready for combat in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Undertaken by Armenian nationalists, this was the worst atrocity to be undertaken on former Soviet territory. All participants in this act of aggression against the civilians of Khojaly, including Serzh Sargsyan, the current Armenian President, are guilty.

“I hope that, one day, justice will be done and that those guilty of this massacre will stand trial before the jury of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”

soprano Nomeda Kazlaus. This was followed by Elegija (Elegy), penned by contemporary Lithuanian composer Zita Bružaitė.

The setting of the pained poem Azad bir quşdum by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli – born to parents from Shusha, the cultural hub of Nagorno-Karabakh – stunned all listeners into silence, particularly as sung

by Nomeda. The concert concluded with Pierre Thilloy’s Khojaly 613, featuring Azerbaijani violinist Nazrin Rashidova, Latvian clarinettist Anna Gagane and the Rhein-Quartett. All audience members were given a CD of this piece.

All commemorative events received a rapturous response, both on a musical and symbolic level, and were dedicated to the memory of the Khojaly victims and the Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees who have one unified wish – to return home.

The packed auditorium of Vilnius Town Hall were captivated by the narrative of the Khojaly 613 tone poem

Visit http://bit.ly/khojaly613order to order your copy of the Khojaly 613 CD performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse under the baton of Fuad Ibrahimov and featuring Sabina Rakcheyeva (violon) and Alain Toiron (clarinet).

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Personalities – Javid Shahmaliyev Business News Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

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Karabakh fighting flares at Khojaly memorial time At least five Azerbaijani servicemen were killed on 25 February in the most serious flare-up in fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces since the ‘Four-Day War’ in April 2016 that constituted the worst violence since the ceasefire was established in 1994. The renewed aggression came during the approach of spring, and many fear an even more serious bout of fighting than that last year, when allegedly more than 200 were killed. The combat came on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, the worst single atrocity of the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

One of the Azerbaijani soldiers is laid to rest

Carey Cavanaugh, former US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked with establishing a negotiated peace to the conflict, stated: “The likelihood of another outbreak of fighting at the level observed in April 2016, or higher, is significant. That clash aroused nationalist sentiments, fed growing political discontent in Armenia, and showed Azerbaijan that it can regain some territory by force.”

Shortly after noon, the Azerbaijani media published a comment from Colonel Xetai Baxisov, Former Commander, Azerbaijani Special Forces, suggesting that the fighting began as Armenian forces attacked in the area of Azerbaijani-controlled Nargiz Tepe, several kilometres from the ‘contact line’, and north-northeast of the Khojavend region.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry was first to report on the incident at about 10am on 25 February, claiming that fighting broke out due to “large-scale provocations by Armenian forces” along the ‘contact line’ between Azerbaijan and the Armenian-occupied territories, and that its forces suffered casualties, but “forced the enemy to retreat.”

On 27 February, after coercion from the OSCE Minsk Group, and some Armenian–Azerbaijani wrangling over unspecified “conditions,” the Azerbaijani side was able to remove the five bodies, following assurances from the Armenian side. A subsequent Azerbaijani statement read that the soldiers died “preventing large-scale provocations.”

MEP observation of unrecognised ‘referendum’ disparaged in the European Parliament Sajjad Karim MEP, Co-Chair of the Delegation to the EU–Armenia and EU–Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees has released a statement, following the observation of the unrecognised ‘referendum’ organised by the illegal occupying Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It reads: “The Azerbaijani ProsecutorGeneral has issued three international arrest warrants this week against the MEPs Eleni Theocharous, Frank Engel and Jaromir Štětina for having visited NagornoKarabakh and having, through their behaviour, supported the ‘self-proclaimed local statehood’. On 20 February, the MEPs

named above carried out ‘observations’ of a process organised locally in NagornoKarabakh.

“No official European Parliament observation mission has been organised in Nagorno-Karabakh. Any impression given contrary to this is, therefore, without merit and completely unfounded.

“MEPs are free to visit areas of their choosing and promote their individual beliefs. At the same time, the MEPs should responsibly pay attention to the obvious fragility of the ceasefire and the need to support the political mediation processes in Nagorno-Karabakh and clarify their

unofficial individual status for all such visits.

“What is needed is re-invigoration of the OSCE Minsk Group process, and political mediation to take the peoples living in the area, and the states concerned, from the current, protracted conflict towards stable peace, economic revitalisation and decent living conditions. This should be the drive of our political activity, when we conduct it openly and transparently, via the official bodies of the European Parliament.

“We look forward to all three named MEPs declaring the basis of this visit as per declaration requirements for all MEPs.”

UN Secretary-General: ‘frozen conflict’ is a misleading term Speaking during the UN Security Council

Portuguese-born António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, has commented on the erroneous use of the term ‘frozen conflict’

Open Debate on Conflicts in Europe, António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, commented that the term ‘frozen conflict’, which is often used about conflicts in Europe, including the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict over NagornoKarabakh conflict, is misleading.

He noted that, until peace agreements are signed and implemented, the risk of renewed violence remains – as demonstrated during the ‘Four-Day War’ in April 2016.

Azerbaijani soldier dies from Armenian bullet

An Azerbaijani soldier named as Khanoghlan Khalilov fell victim to an Armenian bullet during the shelling of positions near the ‘contact line’ on 22 February. The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces carried out strikes on the Armenian positions, during which the enemy forces, suffering heavy losses, were forced to retreat.

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The Secretary-General commented that the UN reiterated its support for the OSCE Minsk Group, urging the parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and fully implement the agreed conflict prevention measures. He concluded: “I urge all those concerned to show greater political will, not only to strengthen the ceasefire regime and implement previous commitments, but to renew a sustainable and comprehensive negotiation process.”

Turkish Drone Killer system purchased

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has purchased the Drone Killer System from the Turkish company Harp Arge, designed to combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are a persistent provocation from the Armenian side. The move comes in the wake of the signing of an agreement between the manufacturer and the Ministry, and will be followed by supplies of further technological weaponry. www.teas.eu

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Culture

Karabakh-Collection by Leonie Mergen showcases Azerbaijani heritage in London and Berlin The innovative new Karabakh-Collection – a creation of Berlinbased designer Leonie Mergen – has hit the respective runways of Berlin and London with the support of the TEAS offices in Germany and London. With the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan as her inspiration, Leonie developed her current collection, a series of pieces inspired by the traditional attire of the Azerbaijani Karabakh region – currently under Armenian occupation.

Despite the inherent challenges in obtaining accurate information about the iconography of Karabakh designs – many books, designs and historical artefacts were destroyed during the Armenian– Azerbaijani conflict, which raged from 1988 until a frequentlybroken ceasefire was declared in 1994 – the vibrancy of these national designs inspired young Berlin-based designer Leonie.

She was particularly taken by the Azerbaijani game of chovkan (a more exciting precursor of polo) that also originated in the region and is played on golden Karabakh Horses.

The ensembles feature patterns reminiscent of the country’s famous tapestries, with signature necklines and sleeved capes making an appearance in both menswear and womenswear.

Azerbaijan’s legacy as a hub on the historic Silk Road, and as a leader in horse-breeding, is omnipresent in Leonie’s designs, with equestrian-influenced leather accessories and sophisticated silk elements playing an essential role in her collection.

Sleek magazine wrote: “The designer combined plunging necklines and sleeved capes with buttery-soft leather and delicate silk – a reference to Azerbaijan’s legacy as a hub on the ancient Silk Road. Geometric navy and burgundy patterns evoke the region’s infamous tapestries in the designer’s distinctive first show.”

Writing for C-Heads Magazine, commentator Harry Leath wrote: “Furs, silk, velvet and leather combine to exude an imperious sophistication whilst conceding a polite modesty in form; it is resplendent with deep, regal colours and rich with warm, classic textures. Mergen is an honest admirer of tradition and shows us how we can marry tradition with progression; we do not have to eschew tradition in order to move forward, we must embrace it with unfettered honesty.”

Tale Heydarov, Chairman, and Founder, TEAS stated: “The Karabakh-Collection is a very interesting project for TEAS. We are very happy to see that it has created considerable interest in Azerbaijani culture and that it has been picked up by a wide audience, ranging from media representatives all the way to industry professionals.”

With regard to Nagorno-Karabakh, he continued: “A fashion collection with this degree of international coverage and attention helps a great deal in showing to a wider public that there is an

Apparently simple, yet complex and refined – the Karabakh-Collection brings a fresh approach to the catwalks of Berlin and London

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The menswear is redolent of the equestrianism in the region

One of the outstanding looks for women, inspired by the natural materials and artisans of the Karabakh region

occupied Azerbaijani region called Nagorno-Karabakh and that steps have to be undertaken to protect our national heritage across all areas of culture and by harnessing the power of civil society.”

The collection was initially unveiled on 18 January during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, in the presence of over 500 fashion industry professionals, fashion reporters and international guests, in the historic Kaufhaus Jandorf in Berlin-Mitte. The collection was presented on the catwalk in 26 distinct looks, accompanied by the strains of traditional Azerbaijani mugham.

The collection was subsequently presented again on 31 January at the annual brand event for 200 L’Oréal representatives at the L’Oréal Professionnel showcase, also in Berlin.

Finally, the collection came to London Fashion Week on 18 February. This typically attracts 5000 of the international crème de la crème of the fashion elite. The afterparty – hosted by TEAS at the Andaz Studio in London’s hip Shoreditch region – was attended by 100 top-flight fashionistas and covered by the BBC and AzTV (Azerbaijani state television). Following this, Vogue UK featured the Karabakh-Collection on its website at http://bit.ly/ voguekarabakhcollection. Visit www.karabakh-collection.com to see the new line.

The worksmanship and detailing, executed in Germany, is of the highest quality

Leonie Mergen discusses some final details before her creations hit the L’Oréal Professionnel runway (Photo: Henrik Jordan)

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Culture

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Audience members reduced to tears by Ali and Nino during its European premiere in the European Parliament This momentous screening – on International Women’s Day – was introduced by (from left) H.E. Fuad Isgandarov, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU; Norica Nicolai MEP; H.E. Natalie Sabanadze, Georgian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU and Marc Verwilghen, Director, TEAS Benelux

Numerous viewers were left tearful when the sweeping, emotional film Ali and Nino received its European premiere on 8 March with a screening at the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by Norica Nicolai MEP, who attended with three other MEPs – Heidi Hautala, Ramona Nicole Manescu and Tomas Zdechovsky. It was organised

by TEAS Benelux, in collaboration with the Azerbaijani Embassy to Belgium, the Netherlands and the EU; the Georgian Embassy to Belgium, the Netherlands and the EU; and the ALDE Group.

The 175 attendees included H.E. Natalie Sabanadze, Georgian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU; H.E. Fuad Isgandarov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU; H.E. Khazar Ibrahim, Head of the Azerbaijani Mission to NATO; H.E. Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU; Javanshir Feyziyev, Azerbaijani MP, Head of the Committee on Foreign and Interparliamentary Relations in the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) and Co-Chair, EU–Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, together with three other Azerbaijani MPs – Fuad Muradov, Kamran Bayramov and Rovshan Rzayev.

Written exactly 80 years ago in German by the enigmatic Kurban Said, the novel Ali and Nino encapsulates the interreligious, multicultural and tolerant spirit of Baku that existed in 1918–20 during the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), which preceded seven long decades of Soviet domination. Detailing the romance between Ali, a Muslim Azerbaijani noble youth, and Nino, a Christian Georgian Princess, the novel is largely set in Icheri Sheher (Baku Old City), although the action also takes place in Daghestan, Ganja, Tbilisi, Tehran and Shusha, an Azerbaijani cultural hub in Nagorno-Karabakh that is currently under illegal Armenian occupation.

The story emphasises the pioneering nature of the ADR, which was founded on western 03 / 2017

principles of democracy, when Christians and Muslims happily cohabited in Baku.

The screening was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day, for the film features a strong female character (Nino) and the period under examination saw the ADR extend the franchise to all women over the age of 18 (predating such developments in the UK, US and France).

It also saw the establishment of Baku State University, based on European models, and Azerbaijani participation in the Paris Peace Conference, amongst other international representations on the world stage.

Marc Verwilghen, Director, TEAS Benelux, said: “This is a very important moment in EU–Azerbaijani Relations. The recent visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Brussels has demonstrated the country’s commitment and will to enhance ties with Europe.

“Ali and Nino depicts life in the extraordinary South Caucasus region. Unfortunately living together with neighbours is not always as smooth and easy as we would wish. This is evident in the case of Azerbaijan and Armenia, two members of the EU Eastern Partnership, whose ongoing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has stayed unresolved for almost 25 years.

“Azerbaijan can be seen as a model country of openness to other cultures, ethnic minorities, and gender-equality, embracing diverse nationalities and religions.

“But – as Ali and Nino shows us – Hope has no borders, Fate has no boundaries and Love has no limits.”

Norica Nicolai MEP commented: “This is not only a love story, it is a story of a conflict.

The conflict between a civilised nation and those countries that wish to subjugate it, and unfortunately such conflicts still continue.

On International Women’s Day, this film can

be a lesson. The lesson is not just about love. It is a story about the challenge. I want this film, which focuses on that which is important in life, to remain with you all.”

Ambassador Sabanadze recalled: “On 8 March, we remember the people around the world, including the South Caucasus, who are affected by oppression and tragedies.

“Ali and Nino came to light after the author’s death, when a copy surfaced in a second-hand bookshop in Vienna. The story remains very contemporary and deals with issues that are perennial. It has so many resonances with today, for we see the breakdown of political order. We see the issues between different world powers, and a clash of cultures and civilisations.

We also witness the power of personalities and individual choice. Despite questions over the enigmatic author, the book is very powerful and shows that art is indestructible.

It tells us that clashes are inevitable, and never easy to resolve.”

Ambassador Isgandarov concluded: “It is good to see the Embassies of Azerbaijan and Georgia collaborating on such events as today. This is a great story about love.

It is important to understand that love has brought the nations of Azerbaijan and Georgia together. The action in the film is set around a century ago, and it is essential that we remain very close strategic partners, and open to further suggestions for partnership, provided that countries recognise our independence.

“Of course, the film talks about the conflict of civilisations, but also talks about love.

It tells the love story of the Azerbaijani Shi’a Muslim Ali for the Georgian Orthodox Princess Nino. Ali stays to defend his country against the Soviet invasion, and our independence must be maintained.”

The event concluded with a reception and tasting of Azerbaijani and Georgian wine and brandy. www.teas.eu