BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5. Youth serves as an important bridge between societies, EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Marijana Kujundžić said during the “EU Youth Competition” held in Ganja as part of the “European Village-2026” initiative, Trend reports.
According to the ambassador, the competition encourages young people to deepen their understanding of Europe, its values, and the cultural diversity of the European Union member states.
She emphasized that the European Union remains committed to supporting young people in their efforts to build a brighter future and places particular importance on engagement with youth residing in the regions.
“We traditionally organize summer schools for young people across various regions of Azerbaijan. The most recent summer school was held in Ismayilli,” Kujundžić noted.
The ambassador also invited young people to participate in the education fair scheduled to take place in Baku on October 10–11.
She stressed that such initiatives and joint activities contribute to strengthening connections between societies.
“Young people play a vital role in fostering closer ties between our societies,” she stated.
Kujundžić further noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the EU-Azerbaijan partnership.
“Since 1996, hundreds of projects have been implemented in the fields of agriculture, business development, healthcare, environmental protection, and other sectors. Thousands of students have also pursued studies in Europe through the Erasmus+ programme,” the ambassador said.
She recalled that Ganja was designated as the European Youth Capital in 2016, during which the city also hosted a “European Village” event.
The ambassador expressed her appreciation to the volunteers who contributed to the organization of the event and announced that the “European Village” would once again be held in Ganja.
The EU’s flagship initiative, “European Village 2026,” is scheduled to take place in Ganja on June 6.
Dedicated to the theme “EU-Azerbaijan: 30 Years of Partnership,” the event is organized by the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan in cooperation with the embassies of EU member states and with the support of the Ganja City Executive Authority.
The official opening ceremony will be held on June 6 with the participation of the ambassadors of the EU and its member states accredited to Azerbaijan. Prior to the opening, a tree-planting ceremony will take place in Heydar Aliyev Park.
The program will feature face painting, puppet performances, board games, quizzes, mini-competitions, and music and dance activities for children.
In addition to the EU Delegation, representatives of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden will participate in the event.
