A ceremony was held in Paris in connection with awarding Mehriban Aliyeva the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

A ceremony dedicated to granting to Mehriban Aliyeva the honorary title of Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO was held on 9 September.

Director General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura, chief of Program the Goodwill Ambassadors Program Mrs. Basma Irsheid and other officials warmly welcomed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva.

At the ceremony, the general director of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura made a speech:

Dear Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva!

President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Your Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev!

Dear Ambassadors of Goodwill, ladies and gentlemen!

Welcome in the house of UNESCO. With deep satisfaction I welcome all of you in the Headquarters of UNESCO.

This significant day, Chairperson of the Fund of Friends to the Azerbaijan Culture Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva receives the title of the Ambassador of Goodwill of UNESCO. This rank is given to her for merits in preservation and development of the heritage of oral and musical creativity. It is great honor for me that in this ceremony takes part the President of the Azerbaijan Republic H.E. Ilham Aliyev. I address the President and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva: В"Welcome in the house of UNESCO! В" Using this opportunity, I want to express also to His Excellency Mr. President, our huge admiration of the successes achieved by him in the field of the state construction and social development.

Assignment to Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva of this high rank occurs in important moment in the history of our Organization. This rewarding testifies that the culture is a wreath of development, and it is much valuable than all jewelry decorating the crowns.

The UNESCO always considered and counts culture and development inseparable from each other. We do not consider separately economic development. Saying "development", we also mean a high intellectual level, spiritual, moral and emotional satisfaction. Alongside with the future of groups, communities and the nations, this development provides also protection of their history.

Therefore, with feeling of deep satisfaction I want to tell to dear visitors who have gathered here about untiring activity of Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva in the field of culture in Azerbaijan. I would like to emphasize especially the work, which she carries out in the field of protection of cultural heritage including musical, in sphere of music education. The Fund of Friends to the Azerbaijan Culture supervised by Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva has been created on her initiative in 1995 and to this day carries out successful activity.

The music education and education of young generation constantly were in the center of attention of the Fund over which Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva supervises. It is worthy of approval and respect the fact that charitable concerts organized by the Fund brings pleasure to students, and serves also to continuation of rich traditions of national culture. Due to activity of the Fund in Azerbaijan the musical schools have been capitally repaired, fine conditions are created that thousand teenagers have managed to join the world of music. The special attention is deserved with the fact of attraction to this process of children of deprived families.

With deep satisfaction I want to remind the magazine "Azerbaijan-IRS" issued in three languages also. Mrs. Aliyeva acts as the editor-in-chief of this magazine. This magazine is not limited to only one distribution of the information on the history and culture of Azerbaijan, and also the entire also Caucasian region. It, at the same time in detail narrates about customs and traditions of all nations of the world.

I know that Mrs. Aliyeva attaches great importance to distribution of musical and oral national creativity to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan possesses rich traditions of musical and oral national creativity. And last years interest to this sphere has increased in notable degreeВ".

The Director General also dwelt on the UNESCO activities on preservation of cultural heritage in the world and stated that as a Goodwill Ambassador, Mehriban Khanum would make further contributions in this field.

The UNESCO Director General presented the Diploma and certificate of Goodwill Ambassador to Mehriban Khanum Aliyeva and congratulated her, wishing further success in her activity in this field.

Then, the floor was given to Mehriban Aliyeva.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made speech at the ceremony.

After official part, a reception was arranged on awarding of honorary name of Goodwill ambassador to Mehriban Aliyeva.

Then ceremony participants got acquaintance with magazine devoted to activity of Mehriban Aliyeva, as well, with point covering information on traditions, habits and life of our people.