The Azerbaijan Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers (AzTC) on Tuesday received a visit from Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Palestine Nasser Abdul Kareem.

The Ambassador thanked AzTC Director Afag Masud for the invitation and talked about the importance of the work done by AzTC in the field of language and translation, international relations, and promotion of the Arabic and Azerbaijani Literature.

“The Palestine Embassy is always interested in the work done by AzTC in the field of language and translation, promotion of the literature and efforts towards establishing relations worldwide. The job that you do is sufficiently of great importance. And you also attract attention with your works as a writer. Especially, your works dedicated to women and human freedom are of great importance for Palestine people who lead their lives in regular conflicting situation. We’d be very pleased to read them in Arabic.  Azerbaijan literature and literary thoughts are very close and interesting to Arab world as the oriental culture-bearer. With great enthusiasm and interest I got acquainted with Azerbaijan history and literature. Because of close ties with Eastern culture and history, Azerbaijan is especially dear to me. Promotion of this heritage and culture in the world is of great importance. For us, Azerbaijan was a lost brother. During the Soviet period the two late leaders – country-wide Heydar Aliyev and Yasir Arafat had very close relations. Moreover, these relations became stronger and broader after you regained independence. Nowadays mutual literary exchange is able to bring the issue of historical relations to the agenda. As the embassy of Palestine, we are always ready to support you in this sphere,” said the diplomat.     

After greeting the guest, Afag Masud spoke about the interest in the Arabic language and literature, as well as about AzTC’s publications.

“Thank you for your kind words and attention to our activity. For me, the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence, indestructibility is a model of courage, will and steadfastness for the humanity. Certainly, literature, feelings and thoughts of this great nation are indeed monumental and inviolable. What is happening today in Palestine is a bloody page in the history of mankind and a history of struggle for freedom. Note that the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence has always been the focus of attention in Azerbaijan. In the 70s, Azerbaijani poets composed verses about the desire of the Palestinian people to freedom, inviolacy”, said A. Masud.  “In the 90s, the Centre translated poems by Mahmoud Dervish, the famous Palestinian poet, and published them in Khazar world literature journal. Today we are interested in the literature of Palestine as well. At the same time, we are interested in promoting Azerbaijan literature in Palestine. The Centre aims to produce the two-volume book "An Anthology of Modern Azerbaijan Literature" to be translated into many languages, including Arabic. This edition will be introduced in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon and other Arabic countries. We would like to publish it in Palestine and introduce to the literary circles of your country.

Certainly, the surest and shortest way to overcoming struggles, wars, enmity between different nations and countries is LITERATURE. Only literature has a magic power to bring peoples together, introduce to them to each other and make them love each other.

The commonality of Azerbaijani and Arabic literatures, cultural ties between the people of the two countries, the issue of use of Arabic words in Azerbaijani literature and in everyday life were the point of discussion”, A. Masud added.

In conclusion, the diplomat donated to the Centre an encyclopaedic edition about the ancient city with 7000 years history - Jericho, as well as three books about Palestinian literature: The Collapse of the Seventh Wall, Asma Tubi  and  The Sacred Porch.

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