Republic Day of Azerbaijan celebrated

Islamabad
On the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the Republic Day of Azerbaijan, Ambassador and Mrs Dashgin Shikarov hosted a reception at the Marriott Hotel. It was a well-attended affair with diplomats of many cadres, including defence attaches and advisors and Pakistanis from different walks of life, all accompanied by their spouses.
They were greeted at the entrance by the ambassador and his wife as well as other members of the embassy who cheerfully responded to the congratulations they received with a warm ‘welcome.’
The guest of honour was Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lieutenant General (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch. The cake was cut after the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Pakistan were played. The nice aspect about the national anthems was that a translation of the words were screened for the guests to understand what was being sung and it was not only for the Azeri national anthem but for the Pakistani one as well! There were no speeches, which was a wise move as it’s difficult to get a hall full of people to stop talking and listen when they are enjoying themselves!
Families were included in the celebration, so there were a number of children present, some dressed in their national costume and looking cute, so they were the centre of attention for those taking photographs. Some of the ladies also wore their distinctive national dress and looked very elegant. Video screening of the sights and sounds of Azerbaijan were displayed on either side of the stage. Titled ‘Azerbaijan: Land of the Future’ the videos showed the historic sites and the grand, colourful, cultural shows that take place on important occasions, with song and dance and the playing of traditional instruments — fascinating and definitely a tourist attraction. Dinner was served with a variety of cuisine including specialties of Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence in 1918 and became the first Muslim-majority democratic and secular republic. It was also the first Muslim majority country to have operas, theaters and modern universities. After being incorporated into the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence in October 1991 before the official dissolution of the USSR.
Azerbaijan has a high level of human development which ranks on a par with most Eastern European countries. It has a high rate of economic development and literacy, as well as a low rate of unemployment.