The City of San Diego, which is the second-largest city in the U.S. State of California and eighth-largest in the U.S., has proclaimed May 28, 2019, as “Azerbaijan National Day” in the city. The relevant proclamation was signed by the Mayor of San Diego Kevin L. Faulconer.

Axar.az reports that in the proclamation, which was sent to the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, the City Mayor notes that “following the October Revolution in the Russian Empire, the Azerbaijani people established the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, which became the first secular democracy in the entire Muslim world.”

It is also stated that “the new democracy enacted many progressive reforms, including granting the right to vote to women in 1918, which made Azerbaijan not only the first majority-Muslim nation to empower women, but also a world leader in championing women’s rights.”

The document stresses that after restoring its independence in 1991, “the Republic of Azerbaijan has consolidated its freedom and independence, and has become one of the world’s fastest developing and modernizing countries, the largest economy of the region and the biggest U.S. trade partner in the South Caucasus.” It further mentions that the United States was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Azerbaijan and establish full-fledged diplomatic relations with it.

The proclamation notes that represented by its Consulate General in Los Angeles, Azerbaijan has formed strong economic, cultural and other partnerships throughout the Western United States.

It further states that “every year, millions of Azerbaijanis around the globe, including tens of thousands in the U.S. and many in the City of San Diego observe May 28 as Azerbaijan National Day, and remember the contributions of their forefathers to the spread of democracy in the regions of Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East, as well as celebrate the remarkable achievements made by the Republic of Azerbaijan as a free and independent nation.”

In conclusion, Mayor Faulconer, for and on behalf of the citizens of the city, proclaims May 28 to be the “Azerbaijan National Day” in the City of San Diego.

It is noteworthy that districts of San Diego and Baku have been enjoying well-entrenched partnership relations since 2011.