American investigative journalist Peter Tase: Nakhchivan is an important center of world culture

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Published on Tuesday, 28 November 2017 17:47

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The well-known American journalist Peter Tase, special advisor on foreign affairs of Paraguay National Congress, came to the autonomous republic last week. We invited our journalist friend to the editorial office of “Sharg gapisi” (The Gate of the East) and got acquainted with the purpose and impressions of the visit.

- Welcome again to Nakhchivan. What can you say about the purpose of your visit?

-This is my third visit to Nakhchivan, the ancient land of Noah. I remember, last time we met in May last year. There were beautiful sunny days here as well. This time, we had the opportunity to visit many places on the second day of my visit. My main goal is to get acquainted with the world-famous monuments of Nakhchivan, to prepare and publish various articles about them. You know, I've been in your country for two months now, and I have been studying multiculturalism traditions and its influence on world culture in Azerbaijan. I believe that Nakhchivan, the integral part of Azerbaijan, also has a very strong contribution to world culture. That's why I came to Nakhchivan to get to know this ancient Azerbaijani land more closely.

- Where were your first acquaintances?

- First, I visited the monuments in Nakhchivan city, then got acquainted with the Garabaghlar Tomb and the restoration work carried out here. This monument is one of the outstanding works of Azerbaijani architecture. I think it's a great pleasure for me to be a witness of a global affair, such as its restoration, returning to a world culture and bringing it to future generations. Of course, I know that the restoration of such magnificent historical monuments is a work that requires a lot of effort and attention. Therefore, the importance attached by the Chairman of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to such important projects is of special importance. I've been to more than 50 countries around the world. Based on my observations, Nakhchivan is one of the richest places in the world, according to the ratio of the population to the number of monuments. Such facts are rare in the world. Another interesting point is that it is a great deal of work aimed at preserving historical and cultural heritage in Azerbaijan during the 26-year-long independence period. I think I can write a lot about all of these achievements, including the achievements of your country in the building of democratic society. In the modern world, there are countries, for example, some of the South American countries that I know well are independent of over two hundred years, but the society and statehood have not been able to make such a breakthrough. Or there are countries that are the members of the European Union, and the customs checkpoints consist of simply a small room. Of the 8 power stations in Nakhchivan, 5 are water and one is the solar power station. There are not any of these in a number of countries around the world. All of this reveals the cultural lifestyle of people living in this land and is of great importance in terms of the development of tourism in Nakhchivan in the future.

- What changes have you seen in Nakhchivan compared to your last visit?

- First, the high buildings built in the city attracted my attention. The city of Nakhchivan is rapidly expanding.  It attracted my attention. In fact, I do not feel like a guest in Nakhchivan. The Wisconsin state in the United States where I live is like the climate here. Although Nakhchivan is surrounded by mountains, the creation of living conditions in the most remote settlements that meets the city standards attracted my attention more. For example, when I went to Heydarabad yesterday, I witnessed it. The presence of such a beautiful settlement on the border with invader Armenia shows the power of independent Azerbaijan. It is amazing to see people's modern living standards in the most remote parts of Nakhchivan.

-After returning to your homeland, what would you like to write about them?

My research period ends on December 1 in Azerbaijan. In the last two months, I've been to several regions of your country. During my research on multiculturalism and tolerance of Azerbaijan model, I got a lot of information. I made a speech   about the results in front of the students of the Faculty of International Relations and Foreign Languages at the Nakhchivan State University. After departing from Azerbaijan, I will immediately hold a conference on Nakhchivan in the capital of Argentina in front of the scientific community. When I return to the United States, I am planning to write articles about Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. There are several magazines that I cooperate with. I will publish articles about Azerbaijani truths in numerous authoritative magazines such as “Foreign Policy News”, “Eurasia Review Journal” and “Modern Diplomacy Journal”. I believe that the more the world will know Azerbaijan, the number of your friends will increase, and more tourists will come to this beautiful country.

- How do you estimate the tourism potential of Nakhchivan?

- There are many tourism resources in Nakhchivan. In my opinion, the historic-cultural potential, natural remedies, and ecotourism open up better tourism perspectives. Next year Nakhchivan will be the center of Islamic culture as the center of a very important global project, more tourists will come here. And I will inform Argentinian tourism companies about traveling to Azerbaijan. You will probably see Argentinian tourists in Nakhichivan next spring. These tourists enjoy a clean ecological condition, an unusual nature. All this exists in Nakhchivan. I also had a great impression on my visit. Every minute of my days in Nakhchivan became significant. Thanks for all this.

- Thank you for the interview!

                                                                                              Ali JABBAROV

                                               “Sharg gapisi” (The gate of the East) Newspaper

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