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.