MGIMO jubilee marked with gala concert
By Nigar Orujova
A gala concert marking the 70th establishment anniversary of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Russian Foreign Ministry has been held at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow.
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu and a delegation of MGIMO graduates from Azerbaijan attended the concert.
The concert was part of the Second International Forum of Graduates of MGIMO, attended by Azerbaijan's delegation.
In his opening message, Russian President Vladimir Putin said MGIMO provided its graduates with "fundamental and in-depth knowledge that allows them to effectively maintain the most complex negotiations and to be always on top".
Rector of the University Anatoly Torkunov said the second forum brought together more than 1,000 MGIMO graduates from 50 countries, including outstanding politicians, public figures, businessmen and academics.
He noted the forum continues the tradition which started in 2013 in Baku. The first meeting of MGIMO graduates was held on the initiative of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.
Torkunov went on talking about opening a new state-of-the-art educational building for MGIMO, creation of new faculties and departments, modernization of the Alumni Association and the MGIMO Development Foundation.
"Today MGIMO is a a university and its graduates are successful no only in diplomacy but also in such areas as humanitarian sciences, business, journalism, and even intelligence," he stressed.
Some 54 languages are being taught in MGIMO - more than any other institution across the world, he added.
The event was followed by a gala concert with the participation of Russian and foreign music stars. The participants also watched a documentary about the history and development of MGIMO.
The First International Forum of MGIMO graduates was organized in Baku in April 2013 on the initiative of the Azerbaijan Alumni Association of MGIMO.
The 2013 Forum was held under the motto "Together into the Future." It was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as representatives of international organizations, statesmen and businessmen from Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Cuba, Republic of Korea, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and other countries.