President of the Agglomeration community of Mulhouse Sud Alsace, France, senator Jean-Marie Bockel has said Azerbaijan is a tolerant and secular country with high moral values.
He spoke as he visited Azerbaijan`s pavilion at an international tourism and gastronomy exhibition in Mulhouse.
Azerbaijan`s pavilion featured 47 types of wine, as well as national carpets, crafts (pottery, copper), musical instruments, and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation-presented books on the country`s history, culture and tourism.
Bockel recalled his meetings with Azerbaijani first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in Baku and Paris. He praised the Foundation`s role in promoting Azeri culture in France and bringing the two countries` people closer to each other.
Senator said Azerbaijan was a first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East, adding universal suffrage was introduced in the country long before European nations did it.
Bockel said Azerbaijan was successfully moving forward on path of democracy, describing the country as the leader of the South Caucasus region. He praised Azerbaijan`s “growing international prestige” and its “rich national values”.
He said Azerbaijan had recently given a proper response to those who wanted to launch a slander campaign against the country at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
President of Mulhouse exhibition hall Metreao Philippe said the exhibition was organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with the aim of promoting the Azerbaijani culture among the French.
Azeri ambassador Elchin Amirbayov said Azerbaijan had rich culture, adding the country`s mugham, ashiq art and carpets were included in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage.
The ambassador said history of Azerbaijan-France relations dated back to ancient times.
He praised tolerance in Azerbaijan, saying people of different religions and cultures had been coexisting in peace and harmony in the country over the centuries.

AzerTAc