Former President of Finland Tarja Halonen - the first female President of the country, visited the Azerbaijan House operating in the Finnish capital of Helsinki as an honorary guest.
The event was initiated by Ulviyya Jabbarova, Chairperson of the “Azer-Turk” Youth Organization and head of the Helsinki Azerbaijan House, with support of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Work with Diaspora.
Ulviyya Jabbarova welcomed former Finnish President Tarja Halonen, noting that her visit held great importance and pride for the Azerbaijan House.
The meeting was attended by Kirsti Narinen, former Ambassador of Finland to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Tarja Halonen’s adviser, as well as other guests.
The event featured the screening of a short video highlighting the activities of the Azerbaijan House.
Subsequently Sura Aghaverdiyeva, teacher at the Azerbaijan House, highlighted the importance of preserving the Azerbaijani language and passing it on to future generations, emphasizing that for children living abroad, the mother tongue serves as a cornerstone of national identity.
Then, the students performed songs in Azerbaijani and Finnish, adding a special touch to the event.
The event continued with an artistic program featuring classical and national musical works by Leyli Huseynova, soloist of the Finnish Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as musical pieces by Mona Savojifar, Coordinator of the Scandinavian Azerbaijani Coordination Council.
Then, former President Tarja Halonen shared her positive views on Azerbaijan, stressing the important role of culture in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Finland. She pointed out that concert programs, cultural events, and the presentation of Azerbaijan's rich national cuisine could serve as important tools further strengthening the ties.
During the Q&A session held as part of the event, children and other participants addressed their questions to Tarja Halonen.
The event also addressed the discussions on ways to further develop cooperation between the two countries.
Books translated from Azerbaijani literature into Finnish by writer and translator Tahira Jafarova and handicrafts prepared by the students of the Azerbaijan House were presented as a gift to Tarja Halonen.
Kirsti Narinen, former Ambassador, also shared her positive views about Azerbaijan, highlighting the cooperation established during COP29.
She particularly emphasized the support provided by Ulviyya Jabbarova, Head of the Helsinki Azerbaijan House, noting that thanks to her initiative and active engagement, many issues were successfully implemented. Kirsti Narinen also praised the activity of the House.
The program concluded with a tea table for the guests where they exchanged views in a friendly atmosphere.
Nargiz Jafarli
Special correspondent
