Andong-Shusha, Sister City MOU ... Korean Spiritual Culture Capital Meets Azerbaijani Cultural Capital

Andong City and Shusha City of Azerbaijan signed an MOU to become sister cities.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Andong City signed an MOU on friendly city cooperation with Shusha City, an ancient historical city of Azerbaijan, which participated in the 18th World Historical Cities Conference on the 17th.

For this MOU, Adin Karimov, Special Envoy of the President of Shusha City, Azerbaijan, and Ramin Hasanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Korea, visited in person. They discussed mutual cooperation between Andong City and Shusha City for the preservation and protection of cultural and historical heritage, as well as exchanges in various fields such as culture and arts, tourism, urban development, and economy.

This friendly city agreement was initiated during the visit of the former Azerbaijani Ambassador to Korea to Gyeongbuk Province in 2021, where a proposal for exchange between Shusha and Andong, the representative historical and cultural cities of the two countries, was discussed at a meeting for exchange cooperation between Gyeongbuk Province and Azerbaijan.

Shusha City, known as the pearl of Karabakh, is a symbolic city of Azerbaijan's history and culture. It is one of Azerbaijan's representative tourist cities, preserving numerous historical and cultural heritages along with its beautiful natural environment.

Following its designation as the Year of Shusha in 2022, the city was declared the "2023 World Capital of Turkic Culture" by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), leading the promotion of Turkic culture.

Andong City and Shusha City plan to mutually cooperate for exchanges between the two cities and participate in international exchanges and representative events to enhance friendship between the cities. They also plan to attend together as member cities of the World Historical Cities Federation to build a multilateral global network.

Adin Karimov, Special Envoy of the President of Shusha City, Azerbaijan, said, "We hope to continue exchanges in various fields such as culture and arts, tourism, urban development, and economy through friendship and cooperation between the two cities."

Ramin Hasanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Korea, said, "This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Korea and is also the 'Year of Shusha 2022.' We hope that the exchange between Andong and Shusha will serve as a stepping stone to open a more sustainable and productive new chapter in the relationship between Korea and Azerbaijan."

Kwon Ki-chang, Mayor of Andong City, said, "We hope that Andong, the capital of Korean spiritual culture, and Shusha, selected as the Turkic cultural capital symbolizing Azerbaijani culture and history, will join hands to continue their friendly relations and serve as a bridge for exchanges between the two countries."