Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

World-famous photographer Reza Deghati has showcased his works at the Heydar Aliyev Center, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

The exhibition "Reza's Inner Odyssey" marks the three decades of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France.

The project is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the French Embassy, and the French University in Azerbaijan.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the head of the International Relations Department of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the head of the Working Group for Azerbaijani-French Inter-Parliamentary relations, Soltan Mammadov, praised the high level of relations between the two countries.

He said that the history and current potential of relations between Azerbaijan and France prove that there are great opportunities for the development of bilateral relations in the future.

In his speech, Soltan Mammadov also recalled the first foreign visits of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, who was elected as president in 1993, as well as of President Ilham Aliyev to France in 2003.

"Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev has played a great role in the development of the Azerbaijani-French diplomatic relations. France was the second country after Turkiye, who opened its diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan," said Soltan Mammadov.

He underlined that all this is clear evidence of a friendly and faithful partnership between Azerbaijan and France.

Speaking about the photo exhibition, Soltan Mammadov noted that Reza Deghati's works include photos taken in Azerbaijan's territories liberated from the Armenian occupation.

The French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Zacharie Gross, said that relations between the two countries have been developing since Azerbaijan regained its independence.

He stressed that Azerbaijan and France enjoy strong partnerships in politics, economy, and science.

He called Reza Deghati one of the best representatives of art, who unites the cultures of the two countries. All his photo works are imbued with love for Azerbaijan and France.

In conclusion, Mr. Zacharie Gross expressed his gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Center and other partners for organizing Reza Deghati's photo exhibition.

World-famous photographer Reza Deghati said that he has been engaged in photography since the age of 13.

He noted that in the countries he has visited so far, he has witnessed the suffering of people from wars. The photographer considers himself not a military photojournalist, but a herald of peace.

The photographer stressed that bringing France and Azerbaijan together through this exhibition is a very important issue for him today.

Through this exhibition, Reza Deghati shows the great closeness between the two nations.

Reza's Inner Odyssey

The exhibition includes photos taken by photographer Reza Deghati during his travels to Azerbaijan and France in different years.

The photographs immerse viewers in a kind of poetic and touching journey to different parts of Azerbaijan and France.

To date, Reza Deghati has traveled to more than 100 countries. His work has been featured in books, exhibitions, National Geographic magazine, and other international publications.

The works of the famous photographer have been presented in a number of projects initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Reza Deghati's photos have been exhibited at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the UN headquarters in New York, and the European Parliament in Brussels.

The photo exhibition "Reza's Odyssey" at the Heydar Aliyev Center will last until July 27.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lamiva993