ISLAMABAD: The newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Irfan Shakiroglu Davudov, visited the headquarters of the National Book Foundation (NBF), where the management warmly welcomed the distinguished guest.
During the visit, discussions were held on various avenues of cooperation between Pakistan and Azerbaijan in the fields of books, literature, education, publishing, translation and cultural exchanges.
The Ambassador appreciated the intellectual, literary and cultural services of the National Book Foundation and expressed his commitment to further expanding cooperation in these areas, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.
Managing Director of National Book Foundation Dr Kamran Jahangir, in his opening remarks, briefed the distinguished Ambassador on NBF’s literary and educational activities as well as its upcoming initiatives.
He informed the Ambassador that the National Book Foundation would participate in the Baku International Book Fair 2026, being held from 20 to 25 October 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Ambassador Irfan Shakiroglu Davudov welcomed the initiative and assured that the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the relevant institutions would extend all possible cooperation and facilitation to NBF for its participation in the book fair.
During the visit, Ambassador Irfan Shakiroglu Davudov also visited the Nizami Ganjavi Corner established at the National Book Foundation with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Corner was inaugurated on December 8, 2014 by the then Federal Secretary, Cabinet Division, Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad. It was subsequently renewed and revitalized under the distinguished leadership of Khazar Farhadov, former Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan.
The Ambassador described the timeless literary legacy of Nizami Ganjavi as a strong cultural bridge between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
He termed the Nizami Ganjavi Corner a symbol of the warm friendship, mutual respect and shared literary values between the two countries.
He expressed the hope that the Corner would introduce the younger generation to Nizami Ganjavi’s thought, literary art and universal human message, while further strengthening the bonds between Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
The meeting also focused on promoting mutual translations of selected books from Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
The Ambassador observed that translating the literary and intellectual heritage of both countries into each other’s languages would provide readers with greater access to each other’s literature and cultural traditions.
The participants agreed to explore cooperation in translating selected literary, historical, cultural and intellectual works into Urdu and Azerbaijani, besides strengthening contacts among authors and publishers, facilitating literary delegations and organizing joint literary and cultural activities.
The Ambassador also visited the National Book Museum, Bookshop and various literary and cultural corners at the National Book Foundation.
On the occasion, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan was accompanied by his wife and daughter, while the Embassy’s Third Secretary, Ali Gahramanov, was also present.
At the conclusion of the visit, Managing Director of the National Book Foundation, Dr. Kamran Jahangir, presented books as gifts to the distinguished guests on behalf of the Foundation.
