Ilham Aliyev sent a letter on the occasion of the opening of the Azerbaijan State Music and Drama Theater of Derbent

President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter on the occasion of the reopening of the Azerbaijan State Musical and Drama Theater of Derbent after reconstruction.

As reported by AZERTAG, the message states:

"Dear friends,

I congratulate you on this remarkable event — the reopening of the Azerbaijan State Musical and Drama Theater of Derbent after major reconstruction.

I express my gratitude to the leadership of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Dagestan for their attention to preserving this monument of the cultural and historical heritage of the Azerbaijani people.

This cultural center, with a history spanning over a century, is one of the oldest ensembles of Azerbaijani national theatrical art.

The Azerbaijan State Musical and Drama Theater of Derbent — the only state theatrical institution in the Russian Federation operating in the Azerbaijani language — has always played an important role in the cultural life of Dagestan and contributed to the preservation of the national and spiritual values of Azerbaijanis living in the Republic. Successful productions of works by outstanding Azerbaijani playwrights have earned the cultural center wide audience recognition not only in Dagestan but also far beyond its borders.

Today, the resumption of the Azerbaijan Theater's activities in Derbent is a great, long-awaited celebration both for the professional community and art enthusiasts, as well as for the entire population of Dagestan with its rich cultural diversity.

The peoples of Azerbaijan and Dagestan have been bound since ancient times by close ties of friendship, good neighborliness, and mutual support. These traditional bonds play a special role in the relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation.

The development of humanitarian cooperation, in turn, is an important factor in Azerbaijani-Russian interstate relations. I am confident that close cooperation, including in the cultural and humanitarian sphere, between Azerbaijan and Dagestan will continue to progressively develop and expand within the framework of Azerbaijani-Russian relations of allied interaction.

Once again, I congratulate the entire team of the Azerbaijan State Musical and Drama Theater of Derbent on this remarkable event.

I wish the theater new creative successes."