Por Mag. Marisa Avogadro Thomé – Especial
La Embajada de la República de Azerbaiyán en la República Argentina inició sus actividades en 2010. Para conocer más sobre las relaciones bilaterales entre Azerbaiyán y Argentina, la revista Diafanís entrevistó a Su Excelencia Ramzi Teymurov, Embajador de la República de Azerbaiyán.
El reportaje se centró en la cultura y el arte como elementos mediadores del intercambio social entre ambas naciones y el desarrollo de sus pueblos.
¿Cuándo se estableció la Embajada de Azerbaiyán en Argentina? ¿Existe una comunidad azerbaiyana en Argentina y cómo se integra a la sociedad local?
La relación entre Argentina y Azerbaiyán es una de las más prometedoras en el ámbito de las relaciones internacionales. A lo largo de los años, ambos países han logrado consolidar lazos de amistad y colaboración en diversos ámbitos, lo que ha contribuido al fortalecimiento de sus vínculos bilaterales. Las relaciones diplomáticas entre la República de Azerbaiyán y la República Argentina se establecieron el 8 de noviembre de 1993. La Embajada de la República de Azerbaiyán en la República Argentina fue fundada el 1 de abril de 2010. Por su parte, la Embajada de la República Argentina en la República de Azerbaiyán opera desde el año 2012.
En cuanto a la presencia de azerbaiyanos en Argentina, no se ha formado ninguna diáspora teniendo en cuenta la gran distancia geográfica y el hecho de que la emigración de azerbaiyanos a este país no se vio impulsada por ninguna razón concreta.
¿Cómo cree que la diplomacia cultural fortalece los lazos y fomenta el entendimiento mutuo entre nuestros pueblos?
Los lazos culturales desempeñan un papel esencial en el desarrollo de las relaciones internacionales, ya que influyen en la forma en que las naciones interactúan entre sí. La diplomacia cultural —el uso de los intercambios culturales y la comunicación para fomentar el entendimiento mutuo y fortalecer las relaciones— es una herramienta fundamental en el ámbito de las relaciones internacionales. Las relaciones entre Azerbaiyán y Argentina no son una excepción; nuestra embajada aprovecha la rica cultura de nuestro país para establecer puentes entre ambas naciones.
¿Realiza la embajada eventos para promover el patrimonio cultural azerbaiyano en Argentina? ¿Cuentan con programas de intercambio académico y artístico con Argentina?
Como parte de sus actividades en materia de diplomacia cultural, la Embajada de Azerbaiyán mantiene un compromiso constante con la promoción de sus tradiciones y su rica cultura en otros países, entre ellos Argentina. Por ejemplo, este año la Embajada de Azerbaiyán organizó talleres dedicados a dar a conocer el arte del kelaghayi (el pañuelo nacional de las mujeres azerbaiyanas, confeccionado con seda fina y suave) y explorar su simbolismo. Cabe destacar que, gracias a la singularidad de su técnica de elaboración, esta forma de arte fue inscrita el 26 de noviembre de 2014 en la Lista Representativa del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad de la UNESCO, y se hizo hincapié en que esta fecha se celebra en Azerbaiyán como el Día del Kelaghayi.
Un total de casi 100 personas participaron en las clases magistrales, que duraron cuatro días en total.
En el ámbito de la educación, tenemos la intención de ampliar nuestros vínculos con Argentina; por ejemplo, hay una beca internacional «Heydar Aliyev» que Azerbaiyán ofrece a estudiantes de casi todas las partes del mundo, incluida Argentina. Esta beca está financiada por el Gobierno de Azerbaiyán, y los estudiantes que cumplan los requisitos tienen la oportunidad de beneficiarse de ella. Además, conocemos a una estudiante argentina graduada de la Maestría en Diplomacia y Asuntos Internacionales de la Universidad ADA, una de las universidades más prestigiosas de Azerbaiyán, y, según la información que tenemos, ella ha escrito, junto con un compañero de clase de Ghana, un libro de memorias sobre Azerbaiyán titulado «Descubriendo la Tierra del Fuego». Desde nuestro punto de vista, este tipo de intercambios educativos y culturales sirve para fortalecer los lazos entre estos países.
En esta era de nuevas tecnologías, ¿qué papel juegan las redes sociales en la estrategia de la embajada para promover la cultura azerbaiyana y conectar con el público argentino?
En la era digital, las redes sociales constituyen una de las herramientas más eficaces para recibir y compartir información, así como para llegar a un gran número de personas a la hora de promocionar un país y su cultura, su potencial turístico, sus políticas gubernamentales, etc. Como no somos una excepción en este sentido, intentamos aprovechar las ventajas que ofrecen las redes sociales para promocionar nuestro país a través de las cuentas oficiales de la Embajada en estas plataformas.
¿Qué actividades o proyectos planificados a mediano plazo podría compartir con nosotros?
Con el objetivo constante de impulsar la cultura azerbaiyana, nos esforzamos continuamente por programar eventos culturales que puedan despertar el interés del público argentino. Por ejemplo, como parte de nuestros proyectos para este año, está prevista la visita de artistas azerbaiyanos a Argentina, que expondrán sus obras en Buenos Aires bajo el lema de «El arte de la diplomacia cultural: arte por la paz». Asimismo, tenemos previsto llevar a cabo actividades de promoción de la literatura azerbaiyana y proyecciones de documentales sobre diversos temas.
Traducción al español enviada por la Embajada de la República de Azerbaiyán en la Argentina
His Excellency Ramzi Teymurov of Azerbaijan: «Cultural diplomacy and art as a means to peace»
By Mag. Marisa Avogadro Thomé – Special
The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of Argentina began activities in 2010. To learn more about bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Argentina, Diafanís Magazine interviewed His Excellency Ramzi Teymurov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The interview focused on culture and art as mediating elements of social exchange between the two nations and the development of their peoples.
When was the Embassy of Azerbaijan established in Argentina? Is there an Azerbaijani community in Argentina, and how is it integrated into local society?
The relationship between Argentina and Azerbaijan is one of the most promising in the field of international relations. Over the years, both countries have succeeded in strengthening ties of friendship and cooperation in various areas, which has contributed to the strengthening of their bilateral relations. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Argentine Republic were established on November 8, 1993. The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Argentine Republic was established on April 1, 2010. For its part, the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the Republic of Azerbaijan has been operating since 2012.
As for the presence of Azerbaijanis in Argentina, no diaspora has formed given the great geographical distance and the fact that the emigration of Azerbaijanis to this country was not driven by any specific reason.
What commercial or industrial activities in your country are currently of greatest interest or potential to Argentina?
Trade relations between Azerbaijan and Argentina have been growing steadily in the recent years. Azerbaijan’s main export product to Argentina are fertilizers. Considering Argentina’s strong agriculture sector, Azerbaijan’s fertilizer exports play a growingly important role in that sector and contribute to the development of economic relations between our countries. I would like to emphasize that, in the spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation, Azerbaijan imports a variety of products from Argentina, mostly agriculture-oriented, and most importantly soybean meal.
Besides the export-import dynamics that play an important role for our trade relations, Azerbaijan’s vast energy resources gained us a huge experience in oil and gas sector. Azerbaijan’s recent shift to prioritize green energy, deepens our leading place in the world energy discussions. Argentina, in the context of exploration and development of resources in Vaca Muerta, might learn from Azerbaijan’s centuries-old experience of managing oil and gas resources.
Azerbaijan, apart from being a direct trade partner to Argentina, may also play an important role in Argentina’s economic outreach to the region of Central Asia. Azerbaijan’s strategic position at the center of the Middle Corridor, the trans-Caspian route linking Asia and Europe overland, makes our country a key actor in the regional, and global connectivity projects.
Finally, I should highlight the importance of the 2nd meeting of the Azerbaijan-Argentina Joint Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation, which was held on September 4, 2025, in Buenos Aires. This meeting is a vivid example of the cooperation between our nations in the economic sphere. During the meeting, representatives of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Ministry of Science and Education, Food Safety Agency, State Tourism Agency, Agrarian Research Center, as well as the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) held discussions with their counterparts to expand cooperation in the relevant sectors and presented proposals.
As a follow-up to the meeting, a Roadmap for Comprehensive Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Argentine Republic, was prepared. This document envisages the steps for the development of cooperation between our countries in various sectors, including in agriculture, education, tourism and more.
How do you believe cultural diplomacy strengthens ties and fosters mutual understanding between our peoples?
Cultural ties play an essential role in the development of international relations, as they influence the way nations interact with one another. Cultural diplomacy—the use of cultural exchanges and communication to foster mutual understanding and strengthen relations—is a fundamental tool in the field of international relations. In the case of relations between Azerbaijan and Argentina, there is no exception; our embassy uses the rich culture of our country to build bridges between the two nations.
Does the embassy organize events to promote Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Argentina? Do they have academic and artistic exchange programs with Argentina?
As part of its cultural diplomacy efforts, the Embassy of Azerbaijan is always committed to promoting its traditions and rich culture in other countries, including Argentina. For example, this year the Embassy of Azerbaijan organized master classes dedicated to promoting the art of the kelaghayi (the national headscarf of Azerbaijani women, made of fine, soft silk) and exploring its symbolism. It is worth noting that, thanks to the uniqueness of its crafting technique, this art form was inscribed on November 26, 2014, on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and it was emphasized that this date is celebrated in Azerbaijan as Kelaghayi Day.
A total of nearly 100 people participated in the master classes, which lasted four days in all.
In the field of education, we intend to expand our ties with Argentina. For example, there is the “Heydar Aliyev” international scholarship that Azerbaijan offers to students from almost every part of the world, including Argentina; and the scholarship is funded by the Azerbaijani government, and eligible students have the opportunity to take advantage of it. In addition, there is an Argentine student who studied at ADA University, one of the Azerbaijan´s most prestigious universities, and according to the information we have, she has co-authored a memoir with her classmate from Ghana about Azerbaijan titled “Discovering Tierra del Fuego.” As the Embassy of Azerbaijan, we believe that these types of educational and cultural exchanges serve to strengthen the ties between these countries.
In this age of new technologies, what role do social media play in the embassy’s strategy for promoting Azerbaijani culture and connecting with the Argentine public?
In the digital age, social media is one of the most important tools for receiving and sharing information, as well as for reaching a large number of people when promoting a country and its culture, its tourism potential, its government policies, and so on. We are no exception in this regard, and we are striving to take advantage of social media to promote our country through the Embassy’s official accounts on these platforms.
What activities or projects are planned for the medium term that you could share with us?
Always aiming to foster Azerbaijani culture, we are constantly striving to organize cultural events that are likely to attract the interest of the Argentine public. For example, as part of our plans for this year, Azerbaijani artists are expected to visit Argentina and exhibit their artwork in Buenos Aires within the framework of “The Art of Cultural Diplomacy: Art for Peace.” Furthermore, promotional activities for Azerbaijani literature and screenings of documentaries on various topics are also part of our future projects.