Remarks by Ambassador Muhammad Hassan President, ECO Cultural Institute at the Remembrance Day Ceremony Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Remarks by Ambassador Muhammad Hassan
President, ECO Cultural Institute
at the Remembrance Day Ceremony
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
27 September 2026
Excellencies,
Ambassadors,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to join you today, at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 27 September — Remembrance Day, a solemn occasion on which the people of Azerbaijan honour the memory of those who gave their lives for their homeland.
We gather today with profound respect for their sacrifice, with sympathy for the families who continue to carry the pain of their loss, and with recognition of the enduring place of the martyrs in the history and collective memory of Azerbaijan.
Remembrance is not simply an act of looking back. It is an expression of gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and a reminder to those of us who remain of our responsibility to preserve the values, dignity and aspirations for which lives were given.
There is also a profound spiritual dimension to remembrance. The Holy Qur’an speaks of the enduring life of those who make the ultimate sacrifice in a noble cause. It reminds us that a life given in service of others does not end with death; its meaning continues through the memory, values and aspirations it leaves behind.
On 27 September 2020, the Patriotic War began in Azerbaijan. Forty-four days later, a new chapter had been written in the history of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani state formally established 27 September as Remembrance Day in December 2020, in honour of the soldiers and officers and all those who sacrificed their lives for the country's territorial integrity.
But history is never written only in books.
It is also written in the lives of ordinary people — in the courage of a young soldier, in the prayers of a mother, in the patience of a family, and in the silence that follows the loss of someone loved.
That is why remembrance is more than looking back. It is an obligation to carry memory forward.
The memory of the martyrs belongs not only to the present generation. It belongs to the generations yet to come.
Azerbaijan has a long and distinguished cultural history, and its experience reminds us that the strength of a nation is found not only in its institutions and achievements, but also in the values, memories and traditions that unite its people.
For us at the ECO Cultural Institute, this has a special meaning. Culture is one of the most enduring ways through which nations preserve their memory. Through literature, poetry, music, art, monuments and museums, the stories of those who came before us remain alive. Culture ensures that sacrifice is not reduced to a date in a calendar, but remains part of the moral memory of a people.
Today, as we remember those who gave their lives for their homeland, we also remember the responsibility of the living: to build societies worthy of the sacrifices that have been made; to preserve peace, dignity and human understanding; and to ensure that future generations inherit not hatred, but knowledge, culture and hope.
The ECO region is itself a region of ancient civilizations, shared memories and deep cultural connections. From Anatolia and the Caucasus to Iran, Central Asia and South Asia, our peoples have experienced the tragedies of conflict, but have also demonstrated the enduring power of culture to connect people across borders.
May the memory of Azerbaijan's martyrs remain eternal.
May their families always feel that their sacrifice is remembered with respect and gratitude.
And may the future of our region be one in which the lessons of history guide us towards greater understanding, stability and peace.
On this solemn day, I extend, on behalf of the ECO Cultural Institute and in my own name, my deepest respect to the martyrs of Azerbaijan and my heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved ones.
May their memory live forever.
Thank you.