Mayor of the city of Little Rock, the capital city of the U.S. state of Arkansas, Mark Stodola proclaimed May 28, 2018 to be Azerbaijan National Day in Little Rock, Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington told us.

In an official letter, Mark Stadola  notes that Azerbaijan declared its independence on May 28, 1918, establishing the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic becoming the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world, and was recognized by other democratic nations, including the United States; and during the short period since their independence, Azerbaijan granted all people the right to vote regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or religion, becoming the first Muslim nation to grant women the same political rights as men.

“Over the last quarter century, the Republic of Azerbaijan has consolidated its sovereignty and independence, and has become a staunch ally and strategic partner of the United States of America in the critically important Caspian region,” writes Stodola in the letter.

The letter also reads that on May 28th, Azerbaijanis in the United States and around the globe will celebrate the centennial of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as National Day and remember the contributions of their forefathers to the spread of democracy in the regions of Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Aliqismet BADALOV,

“Khalq qazeti”