Amina Melikova: 'The Key Task of Cultural Diplomacy is to Establish Azerbaijan’s Presence in the Global Cultural Space'
On January 14, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev approved a long-term strategy for the development of the country's cultural sphere - the 'Concept of Culture of the Azerbaijani Republic "Culture of Azerbaijan - 2040."'
The document outlines the main directions of state cultural policy for the next 15 years, covering issues such as the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of creative industries, the modernization of infrastructure, and the promotion of Azerbaijani culture on the international stage. The concept aims to create a sustainable, competitive, and open cultural environment that meets modern challenges and global processes.
Among the key priorities outlined in the 'Concept of Culture of the Azerbaijani Republic "Culture of Azerbaijan - 2040"', a special place is given to cultural diplomacy. It is viewed as a strategic tool for strengthening international ties, expanding humanitarian cooperation, and promoting national cultural heritage on the global stage.
'Cultural diplomacy is one of the key tools for promoting the Azerbaijani Republic on the international arena. To enhance Azerbaijan's "soft power," the state policy implemented in this area must have political, economic, and social influence,' the Concept states.
It should be noted that the document details upcoming measures aimed at promoting Azerbaijani culture and national heritage abroad.
Key steps include improving the activities of cultural centers at diplomatic missions, expanding the geographical reach of the Azerbaijani language and strengthening its role in international communication, coordinated interdepartmental efforts to protect and popularize cultural heritage, and developing a regulatory framework for presenting cultural values on authoritative online platforms. Additionally, plans include participation in international UNESCO projects, organizing sustainable international cultural events, and creating Azerbaijani cultural corners in leading museums worldwide.
The document also envisages systematic research into Azerbaijan's cultural footprint globally, including the preparation of maps of cultural asset locations, their attribution, and, where possible, restitution. Special attention is paid to transforming the country into a regional and international cultural hub and increasing the participation of Azerbaijani citizens and the global Azerbaijani diaspora in international projects and organizations. Overall, these measures aim to enhance the global recognition of Azerbaijani culture.
Under the Concept, the implementation of measures to develop cultural diplomacy is expected to strengthen the state's "soft power." The promotion of Azerbaijani culture and national values on the international stage will be intensified, while negative propaganda targeting Azerbaijan's image, history, and culture will gradually weaken and lose significance. These outcomes will serve as key indicators of the effectiveness of state policy in cultural diplomacy.
1news.az spoke with art historian, Honored Cultural Worker, and Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Amina Melikova, about the 'Concept of Culture of the Azerbaijani Republic "Culture of Azerbaijan - 2040"' and one of its key priorities - cultural diplomacy.
According to A. Melikova, the cultural community, particularly the museum and academic sectors, has long awaited a comprehensive strategic document that would systematically define the role of culture in the country's development and foreign policy. In this sense, the adoption of the 'Culture of Azerbaijan - 2040' Concept is both timely and logical.
'Cultural diplomacy in this document is not treated as an abstract direction or a declaration of intent, but as a system of specific state tasks. For me, as the head of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, this is primarily practical professional work - with museums worldwide, scientific institutions, international exhibition platforms, and the expert community. It is in this applied context that I perceive section 6.1.8 "Mədəniyyət diplomatiyasının inkişafı" ("Development of Cultural Diplomacy" - ed.),' emphasizes Amina Melikova.
The Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum notes that, according to the Concept, interest in Azerbaijani cultural heritage abroad is not a matter of private initiative or academic curiosity, but a state responsibility: 'This involves systematic research in foreign museums, identifying exhibits of Azerbaijani origin, their scientific attribution, clarifying their history, and documenting the "Azerbaijani trace" in academic discourse. For traditional arts, and particularly carpets, this is of fundamental importance, as without attribution and institutional recognition, cultural heritage remains vulnerable.'
'The logical continuation of this work is the creation of Azerbaijani cultural corners and long-term exhibitions in leading museums worldwide. If it is impossible to physically bring exhibits to Azerbaijan, the state must negotiate their display and interpretation on-site through institutional agreements and sustainable partnerships with museum structures. This creates not a one-time effect, but a permanent cultural presence of the country in the international museum space,' continues Amina Melikova.
A. Melikova places particular importance on the idea of forming a global map of Azerbaijani cultural heritage, which should document where in the world objects, collections, archives, manuscripts, carpets, jewelry, and textiles of Azerbaijani origin are located: 'This is not just a research project, but a strategic tool that combines a scientific base with the geography of heritage, creating a foundation for further actions, including restitution issues.'
According to Amina Melikova, 'the Concept also emphasizes the importance of working through the international professional community and the diaspora': 'Not everything should always be done from Baku: museum staff, researchers, and diaspora representatives can and should participate in identifying and studying objects, subsequently transferring data into a unified system.'
The Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum stresses that 'the key task of cultural diplomacy is not only to find but also to establish Azerbaijan’s presence in the global cultural space': 'To introduce identified objects into academic discourse, catalogs, databases, and public knowledge, making them visible and recognized. It is fundamentally important that in the Concept, culture is explicitly designated as a tool of soft power - not as a decorative accompaniment to foreign policy, but as a form of sustainable influence.'
Amina Melikova notes that special attention should be given to Azerbaijan’s mandatory participation in major international cultural events, such as the Venice Biennale: 'In this context, I want to particularly highlight Azerbaijan’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale, where the country’s national pavilion will feature a project by Faik Ahmed. Within this project, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, acts as one of the co-organizers of the Azerbaijani pavilion. This is a fundamentally important moment, as Faik Ahmed’s artistic language is deeply rooted in a thoughtful engagement with traditional Azerbaijani carpet art. His work demonstrates how tradition can not only be preserved but also reinterpreted in a contemporary artistic context, becoming part of the current international discourse. In this case, the museum acts not as a formal partner, but as an institutional bearer of expertise, ensuring a connection between traditional art, scientific knowledge, and contemporary artistic expression.'
'An important direction remains the improvement of the activities of cultural centers at diplomatic missions - with methodological support, meaningful content, and ties to real cultural projects, rather than formal presence. An integral part of cultural diplomacy is also the digital dimension: placing Azerbaijani cultural heritage on authoritative international online platforms, creating digital collections, online exhibitions, and research access,' continues A. Melikova.
In conclusion, Amina Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, states: 'In the professional community, there is a clear expectation that the provisions of the "Culture of Azerbaijan - 2040" Concept will be implemented consistently and substantively - not as a declaration, but as a working tool. It is this kind of implementation that can transform Azerbaijan’s cultural diplomacy into a sustainable system of international presence, based on science, tradition, and institutional responsibility.'
