Festival of national minorities concludes in Baku with gala concert
By Nigar Orujova
Baku hosted the gala concert of the fourth Republican Festival of National Minorities on June 25.
The festival, which was opened on June 23, was held under the theme "Azerbaijan, the native land".
Addressing the event, Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev said in Azerbaijan all peoples of all religions live as one family and a variety of ethnic cultures and multicultural traditions are the main asset of the society.
"Mutual enrichment of cultures has been an active mechanism in Azerbaijan and will remain so in future. The culture of each nationalities living in Azerbaijan is considered the culture of all Azerbaijan. All peoples and representatives of religions are working actively in the name of development of Azerbaijan and each citizen contributes to the overall development of our country," he said.
Dancing and singing performances followed the evening. The festival featured concerts at the State Song Theatre, a photo exhibition called "In one family" reflecting the life of national minorities at the Museum Center, as well as a roundtable discussion on the diversity of ethnic cultures and multicultural traditions.
Also, a music CD called "Songs of national minorities living in Azerbaijan" is to be released in 1,000 copies in Azerbaijani, English, Russian, French and German languages as part of the festival.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry organized a festival of arts of minorities in 2006. Festivals including scientific conferences and exhibitions which were held in 2006, 2008 and 2011 turned into important events in the cultural life of the country.
Azerbaijan is a land of many national minorities. Respect for multiculturalism, ethnic and religious minorities is a national characteristic of Azerbaijani people.
Major international events held in recent years in Azerbaijan have turned the country into a recognized international center for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.