(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. The first
Balloon Festival was held in Azerbaijan's Shamakhi district on June
17-18, trend reports.
As part of the festival, concert and entertainment
programs were organized for the guests, as well as master classes
on various topics. A presentation of the project was held for the
participants, information about balloons and flight was given.
A demonstration flight took place on June 17, while
the main flights of the festival with the participation of guests
took place in the morning of June 18. This morning, the Shamakhi
sky was strewn with balloons of various designs.
Head of the executive authority of the Shamakhi
district Tahir Mammadov said at the official opening ceremony of
the festival that Shamakhi has already become a city of open-air
festivals.
He added that Shamakhi hosted the Grape and Wine
Festival for the first time. It is gratifying that now, for the
first time in Azerbaijan, the Balloon Festival is being held in
Shamakhi. This can be considered an indicator of the development of
the tourism sector.
Tahir Mammadov said that Shamakhi is currently
distinguished by the development of the tourism sector.
Then representative of the EZONE company Salman
Rasulov noted that balloon flights are of great interest all over
the world. The main purpose of the Balloon Festival is to
contribute to the development of tourism.
Salman Rasulov added that security measures related to
the festival are one of the highest priority issues. Work is
underway to carry out commercial flights in the future. According
to the Organizing Committee, the continuation of flights in the
future and the performance of commercial flights in the coming
years will depend on the interest in the project.
He also noted that the flights are carried out by
professional foreign pilots.
Turkish specialist Halis Aydogan said during his
speech that he was proud to participate in the festival. He
expressed confidence that Shamakhi will become a suitable place for
balloon flights in the future.
He added that the first steps have been taken in
Shamakhi in terms of tourism development thanks to the Balloon
Festival.
Answering journalists' questions at the festival,
German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann congratulated
Azerbaijan on holding the Balloon Festival.
"This event is a great opportunity to show the world
all the beauty of Azerbaijan. Today the weather is very good in
Shamakhi and everyone who comes is having a lot of fun. I
congratulate you once again and wish success to this festival,"
Horlemann said.
Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Dick, who
shared his impressions of the festival with journalists, said that
today is a very pleasant day, because such a grandiose event is
being held in Azerbaijan - the Balloon Festival.
The ambassador said that he saw parents, children and
young people here, people of different ages and nationalities were
at the festival. He expressed gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation and other institutions for supporting the event.
The project was implemented with the support of the
State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, the Executive Authority of
Shamakhi district, the State Civil Aviation Agency, the
Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control and the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation.
Preparation for the balloon project in Azerbaijan
lasted 2 years. Balloons at the festival were made in the UK and
Türkiye, and attracted attention with an interesting design.
A concert program with the participation of famous
performers was also organized as part of the festival. Folk artists
Faiq Agayev, Miri Yusif, Honored Artist Lala Mammadova, Dilara
Kazimova, Eldar and Nigar and others performed hits in front of the
audience.
As part of the entertainment program of the festival,
master classes on various topics were also held for both children
and adults. The participants had the opportunity to take part in
workshops on making clay figures, painting, puppet theater, board
games, weaving and other areas. Thus, the guests not only watched
the flight of balloons, but also had a fun and interesting
weekend.
Children of Azerbaijani martyrs [of the second
Karabakh war] who fell for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
were also invited to the holiday from Shamakhi and neighboring
districts. They participated in the entertainment organized on the
territory of the festival and watched the flight of balloons, which
always aroused the interest of both children and adults. Gifts were
presented to each of the children of the martyrs.