Co-organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the event was attended by the heads of international and public organizations, diplomats, representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva, who took part as an honored guest, also addressed the conference.

Afandiyeva noted that, “despite the difficult situation our countries and the whole world are going through, a serious problem that has endangered human life, we are holding an event dedicated to the classic of Turkmen literature, Magtymguly Pyragy. As culture, art, Turkic values cannot be defeated by any disease, we must protect and preserve them”.

Gunay Afandiyeva emphasized that “the values uniting us, coming from the depths of history, are maintained and preserved to this day. Held in a pandemic in April this year, on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the meeting of the heads of state of the Turkic-speaking countries at the Extraordinary Summit of the Turkic Council, discussion of the situation in the countries, and the manifestation of general solidarity once again confirmed the true friendship and brotherhood between the Turkic peoples”.

The President of the Foundation praised the personality and work of Magtymguly Pyragy: “Magtymguly occupies an exclusive place not only in literature, but also in the public and national consciousness of Turkmens. Absorbing the philosophical feelings of Ahmed Yasawi and Yunus Emre, the great classics of the Turkic world, Magtymguly, with his public literary morality and national worldview, opened a new era in Turkmen poetry.”

Gunay Afandiyeva noted that the Turkic national thinking is fully manifested in the creative activity of the poet, as well as the poetry of Pyragy grows from a single Turkic root.

Paying attention to the importance of promoting the work of a great thinker, the President of the Foundation noted that the study, research and publication of the poet’s valuable heritage is of great importance for the development of literary and cultural ties between Turkic-speaking countries and the promotion of a common Turkic culture. She also reported that the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation is preparing an anthology of poems "Giants of the Turkic World", noting that the poems of Magtymguly are also included in this book.

In conclusion, Gunay Afandiyeva spoke about the international competition of drawings “Let's Protect Our World: Traditions of the Turkic World”, organized by the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, noting that Turkmenistan actively participated in the competition and three Turkmen students took high places. In this regard, at the end of the conference, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Azerbaijan Mekan Ishanguliyev expressed special thanks to Gunay Afandiyeva and the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

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