28 MAY – OFFICIAL RECEPTION ON THE OCCASION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY
On the occasion of 28 May – Independence Day, an official reception was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The event also highlighted the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum held in Baku and was further marked by the inauguration of the newly established Azerbaijan-Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.
The official reception was attended by representatives of the Dutch Royal Court, government, parliament, provinces, and municipal authorities, senior officials from international organizations and the diplomatic corps based in The Hague, representatives of business, academic and scientific circles, mass media, religious communities, as well as members of the Azerbaijani diaspora.
The event began with the national anthems of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In his opening remarks, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mammad Ahmadzada, spoke about the historical significance of 28 May – Independence Day and highlighted the achievements of modern Azerbaijan resulting from the strategy laid down by the national leader Heydar Aliyev and successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. The diplomat emphasized that Azerbaijan has become a regional leader and an emerging middle power on the international stage. He also briefed participants on restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as initiatives of the country aimed at ensuring sustainable peace in the region.
M.Ahmadzada further spoke about the recent intensification of political dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands, high-level meetings, mutual visits, growth in trade turnover and investment, humanitarian exchanges, and prospects for expanding cooperation. He noted that the inauguration of the Azerbaijan-Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, founded at the initiative of influential companies, would also take place within the event, describing it as an important indicator of the development of bilateral relations.
The diplomat also highlighted the declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” in Azerbaijan and the successful organization of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum in Baku. He highly appreciated the Netherlands’ participation with a large delegation in the forum and described the display of the Azerbaijani flag in front of official buildings during his visits to Dutch provinces and cities promoting the forum as a sign of friendly relations.
Next, as a guest of honour, Erik Weststrate, Director for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, delivered remarks and congratulated Azerbaijan on Independence Day in Azerbaijani. He described Azerbaijan as an important partner for the Netherlands and emphasized the significant recent momentum in bilateral relations, noting that high-level political dialogue and reciprocal visits have made an important contribution. E.Weststrate expressed gratitude on behalf of the Dutch Foreign Minister to the Government of Azerbaijan for its support in facilitating the evacuation of Dutch diplomats from Iran via Azerbaijan amid tensions in the Middle East. He also noted that economic cooperation is one of the main pillars of bilateral relations, highlighting the successful operation of Dutch companies in Azerbaijan and stating that the newly established Azerbaijan–Netherlands Chamber of Commerce would further strengthen this partnership. He added that Azerbaijan’s growing international standing has turned the country into an important platform for global events, referring to the successful hosting of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum in Baku and announcing that the 4th International Conference on Mine Action would also be held in the current year.
The Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, also addressed the event as a guest of honour, congratulating Azerbaijan on Independence Day and sharing his impressions from his visit to Baku as head of the Dutch delegation to WUF13. He noted that the forum had been organized at a high level and emphasized the strong participation of the Netherlands. He highlighted the importance of discussions held within the forum and said that Azerbaijan’s development, Baku’s rich historical and cultural heritage, and the strong potential for expanding cooperation between the two countries had left a deep impression on him. Jon van Zanen described the establishment of the Azerbaijan–Netherlands Chamber of Commerce as an important step toward strengthening economic ties.
A video presentation dedicated to the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum held in Baku was then shown.
Within the framework of the event, the newly established Azerbaijan–Netherlands Chamber of Commerce was presented. Founding members of the Chamber include NEQSOL Holding, Royal Dutch LV Logistics, Damen Shipyards, Royal Haskoning, Signify, Van Oord, TAMM Solutions, TRAST BV, AZ Legal Services, and BDO. The event was attended by senior representatives of these companies. The Chairman of the Board of the Chamber, Arjan Bos, Co-CEO of Royal Dutch LV Logistics, as well as board members Imran Ahmadzada (CFO of NEQSOL Holding and head of NEQSOL Holding Azerbaijan) and Paul Gielen (Regional Manager of TRAST), delivered speeches.
The speakers noted that most of the founding member companies have been contributing to economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands for many years and are involved in large-scale projects. It was stated that the main goal of the Chamber is to create an institutional platform for developing cooperation between the two countries, which has enormous potential, expand business ties, and support the establishment of new partnerships. It was also emphasized that the Chamber is open to membership from other companies.
In the cultural part of the event, the Amsterdam-based music group “Watergang Kwartet” performed. Earlier, the group’s unique performance of the Azerbaijani folk song “Qalalı” had attracted significant attention on social media. For the event, the ensemble prepared a special program featuring musical traditions of both Azerbaijan and the Netherlands, symbolizing friendship between the two peoples. The concert included the Azerbaijani folk song “Qalalı,” “Asgar’s Song” from Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s operetta “Arshin Mal Alan”, the “Darchini” dance from Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s operetta “O olmasın, bu olsun”, Fikret Amirov’s “Göygöl,” as well as Pieter Goemans’ “Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten,” all of which were warmly received by the guests.
