Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been honored with a "Worthy Friend of the Balkans" state award for "his invaluable contribution to comprehensive development of Azerbaijani-Balkan relationship".

The award was presented in a meeting with President Aliyev in Baku on Monday by Vlade Divac, co-founder of the Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac.

The award marks Aliyev’s special merits in deepening relations between the people of Azerbaijan and Balkan states; reconstruction and repair of Tasmajdan Park and Bayrakli Camii mosque in Belgrade; establishment of a memorial complex of prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayli in Novi Sad, construction of Chapel of St. Petka; restoration of Novi Pazar Culture House, and support for reconstruction of the Baku Street and Friendship park in Sarajevo. Also highlighted was the Azerbaijani president’s contribution to humanitarian aid provided to the foundation for children and teenagers welfare in Belgrade; refugees in Vojvodina province; residents of Virpazar who suffered from heavy rains in Montenegro; support for publishing Serbian writer Milorad Pavic’s "Caspian dictionary" book in Azerbaijani language; and the decision to erect Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla’s statue in Baku.

Foundation Ana & Vlade Divac (HOD) was founded in June 2007 as an independent nonprofit organization to provide aid to civilians, especially refugees, with solutions to their vital problems by focusing on solving their housing problems in particular. The Foundation is co-founded by Vlade Divac, a famous basketball player and the president of the Serbian Olympic Committee, and his wife Ana, the initiators of numerous humanitarian projects in the last 20 years.