Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The 96th anniversary of the Independence Day of Afghanistan was commemorated in Azerbaijan on September 18.

A solemn reception was hosted in Baku, which was attended by the heads of diplomatic corpus accredited in Azerbaijan, representatives of the Afghan diaspora and public figures of Azerbaijan.

Afghan Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohammad Taqi Khalili addressed the event welcoming the guests and thanked them for joining the celebration of Afghanistan’s independence anniversary.

He said 20 years of history have vanished since he last laid eyes on Baku. “I resided here – a young Afghan in this capital city – this heart and soul of a nation that, twenty years later – today – shows itself renewed through the strength of its own progress: political, social, economic. Baku is rejuvenated. And Baku stands proud today in all its glory,” he noted.

Taqi Khalili thanked the generous support of Azersun and Azmeco without which, the ambassador said this event would not have been possible.

He said that the new government has gained momentum in addressing the challenges in every sector of Afghan life. “Infant mortality has decreased. Access to education has soared. Security never ceases to improve. Infrastructure continues to expand, and Afghans continue to invest in a country that continues to invest in them. What has spurred on these improvements is, first and foremost, the implementation of a robust, sustainable economic development program and plan to generate a climate for foreign investment in Afghanistan,” he said.

The ambassador went on saying that motivated by the bonds of mutual understanding and respect, Azerbaijan forever remains a loyal friend in the quest towards growth and peace.

“Among the varied ways you have demonstrated fidelity to our progress is your support of education. Here, in beautiful Baku, Afghan students have dared to believe that their determination and perseverance would outweigh the force of circumstance,” he noted.

Mohammad Khalili also added that as two regional friends and partners, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan hold a unanimous voice against terrorism.

Touching upon the issue of security, the ambassador said that he is grateful to Azerbaijani soldiers who have contributed to the maintenance of peace in country.

"Under the auspices of this occasion, let me salute those intrepid Azerbaijani soldiers who have been to Afghanistan, and thank them for their services and sacrifices in our land. Because of you, the region is safer. Because of you, the threat of terrorism dissipates even as we speak."

He added that Afghanistan condemns the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan: "We stand beside you as well as you are with us."

He also told: "Along the trajectory of this road laid out before us, the path of the years ahead, we must reinforce each other’s progress, bearing the burden of each other’s concerns, sharpening our focus in order to see opportunities to expand relations between our countries. This task remains a top priority of my government. Recent interactions and contacts between the leadership of Afghanistan and Azerbaijan signify the growing political will towards a deepened understanding and friendship.”

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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