The Days of Kyrgyz Culture have kicked off in Baku. The openning ceremony took place at Heydar Aliyev Center, Azernews reports.

Organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the event is important in terms of promoting the rich cultural heritage of the friendly and brotherly Kyrgyz people in Azerbaijan.

First the guests toured an exhibition of works by Kyrgyz masters of decorative, applied and fine arts at the Heydar Aliyev Center, got acquainted with the Kyrgyzstan national costumes and dishes.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Culture Minister Adil Karimli noted that the Days of Kyrgyz Culture are being held in Azerbaijan for the first time since our countries gained independence.

The minister said that warm friendly relations between the leaders of the two countries in recent years have contributed to the further deepening of ties between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan in various fields.

As an example, he cited today's meetings of heads of state in Baku and the signing of various documents at these meetings.

Stressing that the Azerbaijani people have always treated Chingiz Aitmatov with great love, the minister added that today, with the participation of the leaders of the two countries, the opening of a monument to the great Kyrgyz writer took place in Baku.

"As part of the Days of Kyrgyz Culture in this grand center named after the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, we got acquainted with an exhibition reflecting the history of friendly people. Furthermore, Azerbaijan National Library will gather scientists and writers of the two countries. I express my gratitude to the cultural figures of Kyrgyzstan for the excellent presentation and I must note that we are also preparing to hold the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Kyrgyzstan. I believe that these events will contribute to mutual cooperation between the two countries," the minister said.

The Kyrgyzstan Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy Altynbek Maksutov stressed the importance of the protection of the culture the heritage left by the ancestors.

"The Days of Kyrgyz Culture held in Azerbaijan will strengthen bilateral cooperation between our countries. Modern cultural ties between Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan will bring our peoples even closer together. Cultural interaction is important for the broad and diverse development of relations between our peoples. The current cooperation allows us to look into the future with optimism," he added.

According to Altynbek Maksutov, the two nations have a distinctive history and limitless opportunities to demonstrate their cultural diversity.

The official part was followed by a gala concert with the participation of masters of art from Kyrgyzstan. The musical and dance numbers presented by Kyrgyz performers were met with a storm of applause.

The opening ceremony was attended by officials, cultural and artistic figures of the two countries, representatives of the public and other guests.

The Days of Kyrgyz Culture in Azerbaijan will end on April 26.