The first female President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, visited the Azerbaijan House in Helsinki.
The meeting was held with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by the Azerbaijan House in Helsinki. The head of the center, Ulviyya Jabbarova, warmly welcomed Halonen and noted that the visit was both significant and a source of pride.
Tarja Halonen shared positive views about Azerbaijan, emphasizing the special role of culture in strengthening relations between the two countries. She noted that concerts, cultural events, and the promotion of Azerbaijan’s rich national cuisine could serve as important tools to further enhance these ties.
During the meeting, Finland’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, Kirsti Narinen, highlighted the 29th session of the COP29 held in Baku. She spoke about the successful initiatives carried out by the Azerbaijan House in Helsinki during that period.
Later, teacher Sura Agaverdiyeva discussed the importance of preserving the Azerbaijani language in Finland and passing it on to future generations, stressing that for compatriots living abroad, the native language is a key pillar of national identity.
A video presentation about the activities of the Azerbaijan House was shown at the event. Classical and national music pieces were performed by Mona Savojifar, coordinator for Finland at the Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis of Scandinavia, and Leyla Huseynova, accompanist at the Helsinki Opera. Students from the weekend Azerbaijani school also performed in Azerbaijani and Finnish, impressing the guests.
Discussions were held on further developing cooperation between the diasporas of the two countries.
Books translated into Finnish from Azerbaijani literature by writer and translator Tahira Jafarova, along with handmade crafts prepared by students of the Azerbaijan House, were presented as gifts to the former president.
For reference, there are currently 32 Azerbaijan Houses operating in 20 countries worldwide.