BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 13. Azerbaijan is successfully using the opportunities of public diplomacy to further strengthen its image and influence in the international arena, Trend reports.
An important component of this process is the creation of centers that bring together our compatriots living abroad.
On May 8, 2025, the Azerbaijan House opened in Lebanon.
Khaled Ismail, head of the Azerbaijan House in Lebanon, provided detailed information about the activities of the Turkmen community and the reasons that made it necessary to open a house there.
"Opening of the Azerbaijan House is a great opportunity for studying Azerbaijan's history, literature, and heritage. We are grateful to the state of Azerbaijan for providing us with this opportunity," he said.
Vagif Seyidbayov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, described the Azerbaijan House's opening as an important development in fostering Azerbaijan-Lebanon ties and a meaningful initiative for the Turkmen community residing in Lebanon.
Seyidbayov said that 30 Azerbaijan Houses have been opened across 19 countries worldwide so far.
"Opening of these houses is the clearest example of the care and attention of President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani state toward our compatriots living abroad. I believe that the Turkmens living here will make valuable contributions to strengthening relations between our two nations through the Azerbaijan House in Lebanon," the deputy chairman noted.
Up to 3,000 Turkmen live in the village of Kouachrah in the Akkar region of Lebanon. In 2023, an essay competition dedicated to Azerbaijani-Lebanese relations was held for the first time among students of the Kouachra rural high school. With the support of the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora, the three winners of the competition were invited to Azerbaijan on September 18-21, 2023. The students were accompanied by the school principal and teacher on the trip, which was beneficial for the winners in many ways.
During his visit to Azerbaijan, the director of the Kouachrah Lyceum, Khaled Ismayil, who met with the Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, expressed his great interest in opening the Azerbaijan House in the village, studying Azerbaijani history, literature and culture there, as well as teaching the Azerbaijani language. The State Committee on Work with Diaspora has been in constant contact with the Turkmen living in the village of Kouachra since this project.
Two teachers will work at the Azerbaijan House. After that, it is planned to hold Azerbaijani language and history lessons two days a week. These lessons, in addition to developing the speaking skills of the younger generation in the Azerbaijani language, are also of great importance in terms of transmitting national and spiritual values, introducing our history and culture. This will also contribute to strengthening the ties of our compatriots living abroad with their homeland.
The opening of the Azerbaijan House can be considered an important stage in the diaspora policy of our country. This initiative, which is supported and organized by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, not only serves to preserve the cultural identity of the Azerbaijani community, but also is an important step towards further promoting our country in the world.
This initiative is also a clear indicator of the value that the Azerbaijani state places on its compatriots abroad. The creation of the Azerbaijan House in Lebanon and the implementation of educational and cultural activities there are not only a step serving the state interests of Azerbaijan, but also an important social platform that strengthens national solidarity.
The Azerbaijan House is not only a cultural and educational center, but also an important platform that serves to strengthen the public diplomacy strategy of our country. This initiative, as an example of the purposeful activity of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora, increases the soft power potential of Azerbaijan abroad and contributes to the wider promotion of our country in the international community. Through Azerbaijani language and history lessons, cultural events, exhibitions, literary and artistic meetings, and various thematic seminars, the local community will increase its interest in Azerbaijan, and an atmosphere of mutual understanding and friendship will be formed. Thus, the Azerbaijan House will become an important communication tool that will both fill information gaps and prevent provocations against Azerbaijan.
The State Committee on Work with Diaspora acts as one of the leading subjects of public diplomacy. It creates new channels to convey the voice of Azerbaijan to the world through Azerbaijani houses abroad, diaspora organizations, and educational projects. The Azerbaijan House in Lebanon is a successful part of this strategy - here, national and cultural values are both protected, and a positive image of Azerbaijan is formed. As a result, this initiative is of great importance not only for Azerbaijanis in Lebanon but also in terms of building social and cultural bridges between Azerbaijan and Lebanon. This is where the power of public diplomacy lies: it creates bridges between people and brings people closer to each other.