Values that unite us welcomed at SPECA exhibition

The UN Special Economic Program for Central Asia (SPECA) week is being held in Baku from November 20 to 24. The exhibition, covering an area of 4,000 square meters at the Baku Expo Center, features stands exclusively from SPECA countries. The stands feature samples of products from public and private companies in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

On November 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev opened the exhibition "Exhibition of SPECA Countries: Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development" at the Baku Expo Center, organized by Azerbaijan within the framework of SPECA Week. President Ilham Aliyev officially opened the exhibition by removing the white cover from the installation "Values that Unite Us," prepared by Azerkharcha OJSC. This installation reflects the cooperation between SPECA countries.

At the exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of SPECA, a project specially prepared by Azerkharcha OJSC for this event highlights the common cultural, economic, political, friendly, and fraternal ties that unite the peoples of Azerbaijan and Central Asia in friendship. Combining contemporary and traditional art, this installation depicts nine ancient carpet patterns used in the carpet weaving art of Central Asian tribes. This product includes the "Lake Zeyva" pattern, "Givrim" pattern, "Kash" pattern, "Dishlipare" pattern, "Shirvan" bush, "Buynuz" pattern, "Bird" pattern, "Zagli" flower, "Kilim" flower, etc. All these nine carpet patterns are firmly connected with threads of different colors as symbols of our ancient roots, traditions, and spiritual ties—the values that unite us. In order to survive, it is important for them not only to preserve old traditions but also to develop and keep up with the times. The art of carpet weaving is constantly changing and developing along with modernity while preserving ancient traditions, patterns, and secrets of weaving. In this respect, the idea of this installation is in line with the SPECA exhibition, whose guiding principle is sustainable development. The 3.5-meter-high installation "The Values That Unite Us" is purple, a symbol of wealth, reliability, and elegance, considered very rare in nature, unique, and even sacred.

The authors of the project idea are the Honored Artist, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerkhalcha OJSC Emin Mammedov, and Honored Artist Rashad Alekbarov. After the opening ceremony, in memory of the memorable event, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, presented the heads of state of each participating country with a small form of the installation "Values that Unite Us."

The "Architect of the State" collection, dedicated to the immortal and blessed memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev, was also demonstrated to the exhibition participants. A unique triptych, an encyclopedic commemorative carpet composition, was also presented. The co-authors of the project, implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Azerkhalcha OJSC, were Honored Artist Emin Mammedov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azerkhalcha OJSC, and Honored Artist Rashad Alekbarov, and the performers were the creative team of Azerkhalcha.

The "Heydar Aliyev 100" carpet, a joint project of Azerkhalcha OJSC and Jan Azerbaijan LLC, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev, was once again presented to local and foreign guests at the exhibition.

Among the other carpets on exhibit are four from the Azerkhalcha OJSC collection titled "A New Look at Karabakh Carpets," which are dedicated to the 44-day Patriotic War, our glorious victory. The Azerkhalcha OJSC creative team assisted in the creation of new Karabakh carpets based on the ideas of the republic's honored artist, Rashad Alekperov. The "Gasimushagi" carpet from the Karabakh carpet weaving school was included in the collection in four distinct colors and a design suitable for modern tastes and decor. A total of 44 carpets with an area of 4 square meters each and four colors were woven.