A solemn closing ceremony for the Days of Uzbek Culture was held in Fuzuli, Azerbaijan. Holding cultural events on this land became a symbol of revival, friendship, and fraternal solidarity between the two peoples.

Fuzuli remained devastated for nearly 30 years, becoming a ghost town. Before the hostilities, about 18,000 people lived here. With the launch of large-scale reconstruction efforts in 2020, life has gradually been returning: residential buildings and social facilities are being constructed, and transport and engineering infrastructure are being developed.

In August 2023, during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Azerbaijan, the leaders of the two countries, together with their spouses, visited the cities of Fuzuli and Shusha. This visit clearly demonstrated the strength of Uzbekistan – Azerbaijan relations and mutual support. Our people are united by a shared history, a common religion, linguistic and cultural proximity, and similar spiritual and cultural values. As a sign of strong friendship and solidarity, at the informal summit of the Turkic Council on March 31, 2021, the President of Uzbekistan expressed readiness to contribute to the restoration of cultural heritage monuments and educational facilities in Karabakh.

The practical embodiment of this initiative was the construction of the modern Secondary School No. 1 named after Mirzo Ulugbek in the city of Fuzuli, designed to accommodate 960 students. The school comprises 40 classrooms, six laboratories, two computer rooms, five specialized classrooms, an assembly hall, a sports hall, a cafeteria, and a library. The surrounding area includes a football field, recreational and event spaces, and running tracks.

The new school is intended to further bring our peoples closer together and to introduce Azerbaijan’s younger generation to Uzbekistan’s rich history and culture, as well as the heritage of the great thinkers and scholars of the East.

The solemn closing of the Days of Uzbek Culture in Fuzuli became yet another confirmation of the steady development of humanitarian cooperation between the two brotherly states and their shared commitment to the ideals of peace, creation, and mutual support.

Aziza Alimova, UzA