As part of the official visit of Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to the Republic of Kenya, a gala reception was held in Nairobi dedicated to May 28 - Independence Day and the official opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kenya, Report informs referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The event began with the performance of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Kenya. In his speech, Jeyhun Bayramov told the participants about the legacy of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which became the first democratic, legal and secular state in the Muslim East in 1918, as well as the measures taken to strengthen the independence restored in 1991 and Azerbaijan's contribution to the peace and cooperation agenda in the region.
The minister noted the far-sighted and wise leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev in 1993-2003, as well as the political, economic and social achievements of the country under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He emphasized that as a result of the Patriotic War of 2020 and local anti-terrorist measures in 2023, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan were fully restored.
It was noted that Azerbaijan has formed new realities in the South Caucasus region based on sustainable peace, cooperation and development, and is promoting the agenda of recovery, reintegration and sustainable regional cooperation in the post-conflict period. It was emphasized that the expansion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and African countries is based on mutual benefit and common goals, and the opening of the embassy in Kenya marked the beginning of a new stage in the systematic and comprehensive development of bilateral relations.
Jeyhun Bayramov thanked the participants of the event and conveyed sincere congratulations and gratitude to the Kenyan partners for jointly celebrating Independence Day, expressing confidence in the further strengthening of friendship and cooperation. Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs of Kenya Hassan Ali Joho was the honorary guest of the event.
In his speech, he highly appreciated the development of friendly and partnership relations between Kenya and Azerbaijan, and shared his opinion on the role of Azerbaijan in the international arena. Azerbaijani music was played at the reception, and videos about the culture and tourism potential of the country were shown.
The event was attended by representatives of the Kenyan government and parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, employees of international organizations, representatives of the public and the media, as well as members of the Azerbaijani community.