The 27th meeting of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) has been held in Baku.
Attending the event, Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev said “You are in a country which is home to the first parliament, first opera and ballet and was the first to grant female suffrage in the Middle East. Azerbaijan has an ancient history, culture. It has always placed huge weight on book publishing".
The Conference brought together 50 heads of national libraries. The conference is held as part of the third international book fair.
There are more than four thousand libraries in Azerbaijan provided with modern equipment.
Director of the Azerbaijan National Library named after Mirza Fatali Akhundzade Karim Tahirov noted that the meeting coincided with the 90th anniversary of the National Library.
Azerbaijan has been actively involved in the CENL activities since 2003.
The meeting will feature discussions on a number of issues, including the opportunities for enhancing cooperation.
CENL president Bruno Racine said he was very much impressed by the fair.
“"I was struck by the interest in books in Azerbaijan. Once again I got convinced that large scientific potential of the Azerbaijani people is based on the infinite love for books,” he said.
B. Rasine spoke of the activity of the structure, projects and upcoming tasks.

AzerTAc