A charity event dedicated to the 95th birthday anniversary of Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev was held in Los Angeles on May 7, 2018. During the day, over 500 homeless residents of Los Angeles were provided hot meals.

Initiated and sponsored by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, the event was held at the Los Angeles Mission (LAM), which is one of the largest service providers to the homeless and disadvantaged men, women and children in the US.

Consul General Nasimi Aghayev and the Consulate staff joined the LAM’s volunteers in handing out the meals.

Before the event, Consul General Aghayev met Herb Smith, President of the Los Angeles Mission. At the meeting, the Consul General spoke about the extraordinary life path of Heydar Aliyev and his outstanding role and tireless efforts in the preservation and strengthening of Azerbaijan’s independent and sovereign statehood. He noted that the timely return of Heydar Aliyev to power in 1993 shielded Azerbaijan from potential fragmentation. Highlighting the many difficult challenges the National Leader faced in preserving Azerbaijan’s independence and how masterfully he overcame them, the Consul General said that the memory of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts and minds of the Azerbaijani people. “Continuing the policies set forth by the National Leader, President Ilham Aliyev led Azerbaijan through a tremendous transformation towards becoming the largest economy in the region and one of the most rapidly developing and modernizing countries in the world,” Aghayev noted.

Herb Smith thanked the Consul General for helping the homeless through this important charity event for the third time since 2015. He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan, its National Leader Heydar Aliyev and his tremendous role in preserving Azerbaijan’s freedom and independence. Expressing his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s long-standing traditions of multifaith harmony and tolerance, Herb Smith underlined the global importance of this unique model of peaceful co-existence of religions.