Los Angeles celebrates 100th Anniversary of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
An event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was held in Los Angeles on May 23, 2018. Hosted by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, the event was attended by over 400 guests, including elected officials of California and Los Angeles, representatives of the U.S. State Department, Consuls General and Honorary Consuls, faith leaders, media representatives, scientists, cultural figures (including Hollywood celebrity Cheech Marin), members of the local Azerbaijani community, as well as leaders of Jewish, Turkish, Pakistani, Iranian, Korean, Hispanic and other communities.
The event opened with the performance of national anthems of Azerbaijan and the U.S.
Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev welcomed the guests and expressed his appreciation to all who attended this special and momentous celebration. He stated that 100 years ago on May 28, 1918, the people of Azerbaijan established the very first Republic in our history - the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. He further noted that it was also the first ever secular democracy among all Muslim nations and the first majority-Muslim nation to grant women the right to vote. He stressed that today “under the visionary leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become the largest economy in the region, with one of the most competitive economies in the world, implementing energy and transportation projects of global importance.” He mentioned that “Azerbaijan has also become a place where Muslims, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha’is and other faiths continue to live peacefully together, in dignity, harmony and mutual respect - in fact an exemplary model of tolerance in our region and beyond”. Consul General Aghayev concluded: “We are all proud that we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of our first Republic as a free, independent and confident nation again that has never been as strong and prosperous as it is today. As President Ilham Aliyev recently said, the founding fathers of our first Republic would have been proud to see the present day Republic of Azerbaijan.”
In his remarks, California State Senator Josh Newman expressed his joy attending this momentous celebration and congratulated the people of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani community of California on the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. On behalf of the California State Senate, Senator Newman presented Consul General Aghayev with a certificate of recognition.
Afterwards, Gayle Anderson, International Protocol Officer for Las Vegas, and Nancy Selfridge, former City Councilmember of Monterey, presented congratulatory proclamations signed by Brian Sandoval, the Governor of the U.S. State of Nevada, and Carolyn Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas; and by Clyde Roberson, the Mayor of Monterey, respectively, to the Consul General Nasimi Aghayev.
It was noted that congratulatory proclamations signed by Edmund G. Brown, the Governor of California, as well as by the cities of West Hollywood, Yorba Linda, Salinas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles were also sent to the Consulate General of Azerbaijan.
Following the speeches, musical performances by 12-year old Azerbaijani vocalist Nail Gurbanov and dance performances by Namus Zohrabov, Olga Zohrabova and Laman Musayeva were presented. The guests were also treated to authentic Azerbaijani dishes and pastries.
The event was received with much applause and admiration by all attendees.
Short video of the event can be watched here: https://dai.ly/x6k82x9
