On January 13, 1992, with a Council of Minister’s resolution Bulgaria recognized the independence of Azerbaijan. On June 5 the same year, the two countries established diplomatic relations. During the official visit of the President of Azerbaijan Geidar Aliev to Bulgaria (June 28-29, 1995) a treaty for friendship and cooperation between the two countries was signed. In 1998 Bulgaria opened its embassy in Baku. For several months now Azerbaijan has had an embassy in our country.\' The desire to invigorate the political dialogue and expansion of the economic ties between the two countries was backed during all these years by an exchange of visits and high-level meetings. Numerous agreements were signed – for the establishment of trade and economic cooperation, international road transport of passengers and goods, air communications, customs, tourism. Important agreements were signed in the consular and legal sphere – on legal assistance in civil and criminal cases, extradition agreement.

We have all prerequisites for invigoration of the cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan

H.E. Mr. Elman Zeinalov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria

Elman Zeinalov was born on January 4, 1964, in Baku. He graduated the History Department of the Azerbaijani State University. He has a substantial pedagogical practice and political career. Works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1993. Commissioned to Byelorussia, Ukraine, Warsaw, Moldova. In Kiev he represented Azerbaijan in GUUAM (regional alliance of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova). In February 2005 he was appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria and on June 16 he handed his letters of credence to President Georgi Parvanov.
Young, energetic, cordial and striking respect with his intelligence, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan underlines that he has always considered himself an expert in Slavonic culture and history.
Proficient in Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish. He is studying Bulgarian.
Married, with a daughter in 3rd grade. His wife is a pediatrician.

Your Excellency, why is the Azerbaijani embassy opened now?
I would first like to pay my respects to the editorial staff of your magazine and all its readers.

I am very grateful to fortune for giving me the chance to be the first ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria. It is my great honor and responsibility.

Since ancient times Bulgaria has been famous for its hospitality, abundance in landmarks, and the wisdom and tolerance of its people.

Even during my first hours in Sofia I felt the favorable energy and extraordinary warmth and benevolence of the people. This is very important to me, because from a professional and a personal viewpoint I think the first impressions are decisive.

I am glad that my wife and our daughter felt similar positive emotions. They are already expressing themselves freely in Bulgarian, they are studying the history of your country, its culture and traditions.

I am also grateful to my colleagues from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I already had many meetings, which noted mutual satisfaction of the quality of bilateral partnership, also expressed in the common strive for further development.

I must note my satisfaction with the ceremony for presentation of the letters of credence to President Georgi Parvanov, as well as the audience, which was exceptionally warm and cordial.

To get back to the question, the need to open an embassy of Azerbaijan in Bulgaria was dictated by the stepped up development and the wonderful opportunities for enhancement of the cooperation between the two countries, created on the basis of agreements reached in the course of the bilateral contacts between the heads of state.

We cannot say that the Bulgarians do not know anything about Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to our readers to find out more details about the history and the present of the country.
Azerbaijan is one of the oldest hearths of human civilization – ethnic territory and historical native land of the Azerbaijanis, who populate it since time immemorial. To the north, along the main Caucasus ridge passes the border with Russia. The Caspian Sea washes its shores on the east, it borders Iran on the south, and Georgia and Armenia on the northwest and west, respectively. Most of the country’s land is flat, surrounded by mountain ranges. The location of Azerbaijan in a climate zone, represented in nine out of eleven climate zones of the Earth from the subtropics to alpine meadows, the fertile lands, the abundance of mineral resources and diverse animal and plant life, all these have always favored the development of the economy, the social and cultural life of the country.

In a stubborn struggle for survival the inhabitants of our lands gradually passed to a tribal system, later formed states (Media, Manna, Atropatena, Caucasian Albania), and finally united in a separate nation. The dissemination of Christianity and later of Islam in the territory of Azerbaijan shaped a specific culture, which enriched the world treasury with great scholars, poets, architects, musicians, etc.

The strategic geographical location of Azerbaijan and its riches, however, caused political rivalry and wars throughout the antique history. As a result of this rivalry, Azerbaijan, which was the scene of the Russo-Persian wars, under the Gulistan Treaty of 1813 and the Turkmanchai Treaty of 1828 was divided between Russia and Persia. The northern part of Azerbaijan (the territory of present-day Azerbaijan) passed on to Russia, and the southern part to Iran.

The 20th century is recorded in Azerbaijan’s history as a period of radical changes in the social, economic, political and cultural life. A number of industrial branches flourished. The capital city Baku became a world center of oil-production, producing more than half of the world’s oil. The cultural life changed – different branches of science were advanced, the newspapers and journals are printed on a greater scale, political parties were formed, public organizations. Democratic ideas were evolved, targeted at the promotion of national consciousness and growth of liberal attitudes.

In the wake of the fall of tsarist Russia, on May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed. It existed 23 months, till April 1920, when 11th Red Army of Soviet Russia seized Baku. Azerbaijan became a part of the USSR.