Azeribaijani Minister of Culture on December 18th, 2024, met with the Rector of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory Franco Antonio Mirenzi, who operates in the capital city of Italy.

At the meeting, the Rector talked about the history and area of activity of the educational institution which he heads, mentioning that the centuries-old conservatory has existed in various form and status over time, and since 1923, has been called by its current name. He stressed that the institution is one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in Italy.

Minister Adil Karimli thanked the Rector for the honest meeting and for the detailed information about the conservatory.

In the course of conversation, the Minister touched upon Azerbaijan's musical tradition, highlighting the leading schools in this sphere. He mentioned the country's long-standing interest in the European classical music heritage, recalling that famous Azerbaijani opera singers Shovkat Mammadova and Bulbul studied vocal technique at Milan Conservatory in the beginning of the 20th century and contributed significantly to the shaping of Azerbaijan's musical culture. He also supplemented that gifted young Azerbaijanis still study at famous European art schools.

It was observed that at Azerbaijan's Baku Music Academy and the National Conservatory, both with highly developed traditions, foreign as well as local students learn music. Syllabuses and repertoires of theatrical and concert institutions were found to feature works by European classical authors.

During the meeting, potential collaboration between the respective institutions of higher education in Azerbaijan and the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and matters of common interest were examined.

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On 19 December 2024, as part of his trip to Italy, Minister Adil Karimli met at the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome with its artistic director Francesco Stocchi.

Francesco Stocchi expressed gratitude to the Minister for coming to the museum and gave information regarding the museum's history and collections. He mentioned that the museum has modern artworks and evokes interest from local as well as international visitors.

Minister Adil Karimli provided an overview of Azerbaijan's top museums and exhibition halls. He noted that Azerbaijani museums collaborate with other European museums and that periodical exhibitions of modern European artists are arranged in Baku.

Theater of speeches during the meeting was where proposals were being made on possible collaboration between Azerbaijani museums and the National Museum of 21st Century Arts.

The Azerbaijani delegation visited the museum after the meeting.

It must be mentioned that the architectural design of the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome (MAXXI) and Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku was provided by the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid.

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Minister Adil Karimli received the Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, on December 19, 2024.

In the meeting, Alessandro Giuli indicated that bilateral relations between the two nations in the sectors of trade and energy have increased at a very high level, and stressed Italy's desire to deepen cooperation in the cultural field as well. He further added:

“We greatly appreciate the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation on restoration of religious and historical monuments in Italy and the Vatican, and we thank the Azerbaijani side for that”.

Minister Adil Karimli pointed out that the relationship between the leadership of Azerbaijan and Italy, founded on trust and friendship, has been getting stronger every year. He highlighted the evident wish of the Azerbaijani government to collaborate with Italy and reminded them of signing the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Italy in 2014. He further mentioned that cultural cooperation is also unfolding in fields including the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, architecture, and design.

It was emphasized that Italy was very experienced in conservation and restoration of cultural and historical heritage, as well as museum and library management, and the Azerbaijani side was interested in benefiting from this experience.

The Minister brought to attention that during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, the centuries-old historical and cultural heritage of our people was destroyed and subjected to vandalism, and extensive restoration and reconstruction work is being carried out by the Azerbaijani state in the liberated territories. President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva are paying particular attention to the repair and restoration of historical and cultural monuments, and Italy is also contributing to the restoration process in the territories liberated from occupation.

At the meeting, opinions were shared on different affairs of common concern, such as the administration of cultural establishments, organization of reciprocal visits by music ensembles, and other issues in the domain of arts.

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Minister Karimli welcomed on 19 December 2024, Ms. Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).

During the meeting, held at the Azerbaijan Cultural Center, the Minister noted that preservation, restoration, and restoration of cultural heritage of different peoples and religions in multicultural Azerbaijan are among the state's priority areas of policy. He pointed out that Azerbaijan has been engaged in the restoration of monuments and houses of worship of other religions at both the state and the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

The ICCROM Director-General was happy to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), to which she joined in Baku in November, and to attend the meetings she had organized during the conference. She congratulated Azerbaijan for having hosted this great forum at a high level and informed that COP29 was closed successfully.

At the meeting, collaboration between Azerbaijan and ICCROM was also discussed.