Editor-in-chief of Akord magazine: Azerbaijan-Bulgaria relations based on mutual respect and interest

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria enjoy the relations of strategic partnership that are based on mutual respect and interest, Maria Atanasova-Huseynova, chairperson of the Public Association for the Promotion of the Development of Azerbaijani-Bulgarian Friendship and editor-in-chief of Akord magazine, said in an interview with Media.az.

Atanasova-Huseynova said that at the outset of the 20th century, many Bulgarian families moved from Ukraine to Azerbaijan, mainly to the beautiful historical city of Ganja, and so her parents ended up here.

"A Bulgarian yard built by Bulgarian families has been preserved up to this day virtually in the center of Ganja. I interviewed the Bulgarians who once lived there, with their Azerbaijani neighbors. All of them have warm memories of how they treated each other to baked desserts, shared recipes for national food…" she added.

The editor-in-chief of the magazine emphasized that the Bulgarians who settled in Ganja preserved their culture and raised their children in Bulgarian traditions: “My family is no exception. I remember my childhood and us gathering for Bulgarian weddings, singing national songs, cooking Bulgarian food. We held the funerals according to Bulgarian customs. And our Azerbaijani neighbors have always been active in all events, showed interest and respect for our culture. The Bulgarians of Ganja have preserved their language, although we speak its old dialect."

According to Huseynova, modern Bulgarians combine three ethnic groups, one of which is Turkic-speaking.

"This has influenced our music, cuisine and even speech. There are many words of Turkic origin in the Bulgarian language, for example,"penjer "(window), consonant with Azerbaijani pəncərə. There has always been a cross-cultural interaction," she said.

Noting that Bulgaria is an ancient country with a large number of historical monuments, Maria Atanasova-Huseynova advised visiting Bulgarian cities such as Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Sofia and Varna, which is Ganja's twin city.

"If you travel to Veliko Tarnovo one day, be sure to visit the Trapezitsa architectural and museum reserve, which was restored with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and with the assistance of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. I think that many tourists will be attracted by the popular beach resorts of Sunny Beach and Golden Sands, and also the incredible Vitosha mountain range," she said.

Maria Atanasova-Huseynova also spoke about the Akord magazine published in Azerbaijan in the Bulgarian language: “We widely covered the Karabakh issue and the course of the 44-day Patriotic War. In all my speeches and at business meetings in Bulgaria, I repeat: 'Karabakh is Azerbaijan.'"

Huseynova also noted that the next issue of the magazine will be dedicated to the 100th birthday anniversary of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev.

She spoke about the implemented projects. So, according to her, an interesting project called "Representing the Spiritual and Moral Values of Azerbaijan in Bulgaria" was carried out in Bulgaria in 2022.

"This work made me think of raising the issue of opening an Azerbaijani house in Bulgaria. It would be a cultural Azerbaijani center where you can get versatile information about our Fatherland. This initiative was supported by government agencies, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Bulgaria. The implementation of the idea will be a tribute to Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people from my side," she said, adding that setting up the house of Azerbaijan is essential, since there are many Armenians living in Bulgaria who are trying to counteract such activities and misinform people about Azerbaijan.