The City of West Hollywood in the U.S. State of California has proclaimed May 28 as “Azerbaijan National Day” in the city. The relevant proclamation was signed by the Mayor of West Hollywood John D’Amico and the City Councilmembers.

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 1919, which made Azerbaijan not only the first majority-Muslim nation to empower women, but also put the country ahead of many advanced nations of the time 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 an important trade partner with the United States 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 Consul General in Los Angeles, Azerbaijan has formed a strong partnership with the City of West Hollywood over the last few years.

In the end, the City Council of West Hollywood honoring the anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaims May 28 to be the “Azerbaijan National Day” in the City of West Hollywood and encourages all city residents to join in this observance.