An opening ceremony of a photo exhibition, marking the 100th anniversary of National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, has been held at the Cultural Centre of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris with the support of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC).

The exhibition featured photos highlighting the life and activities of the phenomenal personality Heydar Aliyev, as well as photos reflecting the Great Leader's meetings with various world political leaders and former presidents of France.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Leyla Abdullayeva emphasized the importance of the exhibition organized by AZERTAC in Paris as part of the "Year of Heydar Aliyev", saying that such exhibitions always help keep the memory of the Great Leader alive.

The participants also joined the event to mark the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day, which was founded by National Leader Heydar Aliyev and became a symbol of the unity of all Azerbaijanis, as well as the New Year, jointly organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in France and the country's Permanent Mission to UNESCO.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Leyla Abdullayeva and Permanent Delegate of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev addressed the event.

In her remarks, Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva congratulated Azerbaijanis on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis. Describing the year 2023 as a milestone for Azerbaijan, the ambassador said that this year, the 100th anniversary of the founder and architect of modern Azerbaijan National Leader Heydar Aliyev has been solemnly celebrated in various countries of the world, as well as in France. "This year, thanks to the visionary policy and leadership of Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the strong will of the Azerbaijani people and the bravery of soldiers, the country has restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Abdullayeva underlined.

The Azerbaijani diplomat also noted that the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which is one of the world's largest and most important international events, will be held in Azerbaijan next year. "Azerbaijan's hosting of COP29 in 2024 is a manifestation of yet another solemn victory of President Ilham Aliyev and the unanimous support of Azerbaijan by the international community," the ambassador underscored.

"Our region is very close to achieving peace and normalization of relations. The joint statement on confidence-building measures agreed between the two countries brings us closer to the peace agenda. The measures undertaken and the ongoing direct dialogue will soon result in the signing of a peace treaty. We believe that the peace treaty to be signed based on the principles of international law will have a positive impact in many ways," Abdullayeva added.

The event continued with a concert program featuring performances of patriotic songs such as "Karabakh" and "Lachin" by Honored Artist Ilkin Ahmadov accompanied by Elnur Mikayilov (kamancha), Kamal Nuriyev (tar) and Vusal Bayramov (drums).

The event also featured the traditional Azerbaijani dances performed by Chief ballet master of the Academic Musical Theater, Honored artist Emin Aliyev, and teacher-choreographer of the Baku Choreography Academy Kamila Aliyeva.