On 21 November, Center for National and International Studies held a conference in Ganja on the topic of “Turkey and Azerbaijan: European integration – problems and perspectives.” The participants of the conference widely discussed heritage of the first democratic republic of Azerbaijan, democratic traditions and notion of Europeanness in Azerbaijani history.

Among the guests of the conference dedicated to the 91th anniversary of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, there was a professor of Ankara University Çinar Özen, the head of the Forum for Azerbaijan Eldar Namazov, Dr Kamran Ismayilov of National Academy of Sciences and Dr Elvan Aliyev from Ganja, as well as local intellectuals, civil society activists, students and journalists.

Professor Çinar Özen of Turkey shared some insights about his country’s experience of European integration and Eldar Namazov talked about problems and perspectives that Azerbaijan can face in the same road.

In the end of the meeting, the participants received a publication about previous CNIS conferences on Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and its heritage.