Representatives of the State Committee for Affairs with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad Dayanat Abdullayev, Chief of the State Committee's Department for East European Countries, and Vagif Fatulayev, Chief Consultant of the Department has visited Bulgaria with a mission to prepare and hold a joint Azerbaijani-Turkish Forum.
Speaking about the aims of the visit to Bulgaria, Mr. Abdulayev said that 1 mln. Turks live and work in Bulgaria. Thirty four members of the Bulgarian Parliament are of Turkish origin. Three state ministers of the country, as well as the first vice-premier, deputy speaker of the country, and many others, are of Turkish origin as well. In addition, hundreds of Azerbaijanis are living in Bulgaria. We held a number of meetings connected with the preparation for the concept of the joint activity of Azerbaijan and Turkey due to the forthcoming Forum of Turkish and Azerbaijani Diaspora organizations, which will be held in March, the next year. We have visited the Turkish society Bakna in the town of Shumen and got acquainted with its activity. We have also visited Razgrad, Krjali, Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas, Blagoyevgrad, Silitra, etc where held meetings with representatives of Turkish and Azerbaijani societies, said Mr. Abdulayev.
According to him, Turkish theatres are functioning in the towns of Razgrad and Krjali. Representatives of the State Committee expressed their readiness to establish ties between those theatres and theatres of Baku. Mr. Abdulayev pointed out that he could attain an agreement between the Krjali town theater and the Baku Municipal Theater.
A society on Bulgarian-Azerbaijani Friendship is functioning in Blagoyevgrad. The society was founded by Azerbaijani students studying in Bulgaria. The representatives of the State Committee discussed an issue on expanding relations with this organization. The employees of the State Committee also met singer Nargiz Saidova, teacher of the Shumen lyceum, laureate of different international contests. An agreement on establishing an Azerbaijani society in Shumen was achieved.
Mr. Abdullayev said that another Azerbaijani society was expected to be established in Krjali. Azerbaijanis, who are living in Bulgaria, are scientists, teachers, and intellectuals. We have met with Azerbaijanis living in different Bulgarian cities and towns, as well as Bulgarian MPs of Turkish origin Yunal Tasim, a member of the Interparliamentary Group on Azerbaijani-Bulgarian Friendship, Chatin Kazak, a member of the Bulgarian delegation to PACE, MPs Ahmad Hussein, Metin Suleymanov, etc. We have met the Azerbaijani and Turkish Ambassadors to Bulgaria as well, he said.
All the meetings were held under the assistance of the Azerbaijan Embassy to Bulgaria, and the personal assistance of Mr. Elman Zeynalov, Azerbaijani Ambassador in Bulgaria.
