Azerbaijani Book Corner Opened at the National Library of Foreign Literature

 

On 24 March 2026, the Azerbaijani book corner was ceremonially inaugurated at the National Library of Foreign Literature. The event marks another milestone in Hungarian–Azerbaijani library cooperation. The ceremony was attended by institutional and diplomatic representatives of the two countries, who emphasised the importance of relations based on reciprocity.

Speeches were delivered by Dávid Rózsa, Director General of the National Széchényi Library; Karim Tahirov, Director General of the National Library of Azerbaijan; Máté Vincze, Deputy State Secretary responsible for public collections and cultural development at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation; Ádám Imre Szűcs, Deputy State Secretary responsible for training, scholarship programmes and science diplomacy; and His Excellency Tahir Taghizadeh, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Hungary. Following the speeches, the Azerbaijani book corner was officially opened.

 

Director General Dávid Rózsa emphasised that such events go beyond the simple placement of books: they serve as encounters between cultures, foster dialogue, and reinforce the values that connect humanity. He highlighted that libraries are custodians of culture, providing access to knowledge and shared heritage without borders, while building bridges between peoples and nations.

 

 

The Director General also noted that in 2024, during the 10th Baku International Book Fair—dedicated to the 530th anniversary of the birth of Muhammad Füzuli—a Hungarian book corner was opened at the National Library of Azerbaijan. In the same year, a meeting of directors of national libraries of Turkic states was also held.

 

In his speech, Director General Karim Tahirov highlighted that the event represents another important manifestation of the friendly relations established at the level of heads of state between Azerbaijan and Hungary, as well as of cooperation based on mutual respect. He recalled that the memorandum between the national libraries of the two countries was signed in 2022 by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The document created a solid legal framework for book exchange, joint projects, and the exchange of professional expertise. He stressed that the newly opened section offers Hungarian readers an opportunity to become acquainted with Azerbaijan’s intellectual heritage. He also recalled that the Hungarian literary section opened on 4 October 2024 has significantly contributed to strengthening cultural relations between the two countries.

Deputy State Secretary Ádám Imre Szűcs pointed out that books are effective tools of cultural diplomacy, strengthening mutual appreciation and understanding between nations. He noted that, within the Hungarian Book Corner Programme, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has donated more than 5,000 books over the past decade to libraries in more than eighty cities across over fifty countries, and that new book corners are being prepared in Santiago de Chile, Ulaanbaatar, The Hague and Kuala Lumpur. He emphasised that the cooperation between the National Széchényi Library and the National Library of Azerbaijan is supported by both governments, as well as by the Hungarian Embassy in Baku and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Budapest.

Ambassador Tahir Taghizadeh highlighted the ideas and values that connect the two nations, while Deputy State Secretary Máté Vincze spoke, based on his personal experience, about the 2024 Intercultural World Forum, the cultural heritage he encountered in Baku, and the cooperation between the Carpet Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. He mentioned that one of the outstanding pieces in the Attila exhibition at the Hungarian National Museum is an Azerbaijani women’s headband, and emphasised that, in light of these antecedents, the opening of the Azerbaijani book corner is both a natural and significant step.