President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today attended the inauguration of the new building of Ganja State Philharmonic.

President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation of Ganja State Philharmonic in 2012. The construction work here was completed this November.

The head of state cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the philharmonic and toured the building.

The head of state was informed that the six-storey building features administrative, training, make-up, director`s and recreation rooms, and a canteen. The building also houses a 1200-seat concert and a 300-seat conference halls, 11 boxes, including one VIP.

The philharmonic will also feature the sale of books.

The statues of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Fikrat Amirov, Gara Garayev, Niyazi and Arif Malikov are installed on the balcony on the third floor of the building.

An open-air summer concert stage, observation tower, 500-car underground parking lot and two-storey gallery of two blocks with a total area of 2,000 square meters were also built in the area.

Extensive landscaping work was done around the philharmonic hall, and decorative flower bushes were planted here.

Two fountains decorated with national ornaments were installed in front of the building.

President Ilham Aliyev then met with representatives of the general public of the city of Ganja. The head of state made a speech at the meeting.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

- It is a wonderful and significant day in the life of Ganja today. We are celebrating the opening of the Ganja State Philharmonic Hall. I cordially congratulate you and all the people of Ganja on this occasion. This is indeed a wonderful and significant event. The Philharmonic Hall is built in accordance with the latest standards, meets the highest standards both in terms of appearance and interior design. The philharmonic shall will impart extra beauty to Ganja and become a huge contribution to the sphere of culture and art of the city.

Ganja is an ancient center of culture. Literature, art and architecture have developed in Ganja at all times. The present ancient appearance of Ganja reflects its rich history. Ganja is the land of brilliant Nizami. Outstanding representatives of the Azerbaijani people who lived and worked in Ganja are our national treasure. Of course, such a beautiful and ancient city as Ganja needed a beautiful building of the Philharmonic Hall. A few years ago, the people of Ganja approached me with such a proposal, and I issued the instruction to build a Philharmonic Hall here. Perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of Ganja was selected and the Philharmonic Hall was built here in a beautiful architectural style. There are two concert halls here. The number of seats in the large concert hall is 1,200, so it is a very large concert hall. The total area of the Philharmonic Hall is about 40,000 square meters. I should also note that the Ganja Philharmonic Hall is bigger, more magnificent and even more beautiful than the Baku Philharmonic Hall. I am sure that the concerts and performances to be held in this beautiful building will delight the people of Ganja.

Ganja is an ancient cultural center. While preserving its antiquity, the city is also being renovated and becoming even more beautiful. I have visited Ganja several times in recent years. This is my 15th trip to Ganja as President. Numerous steps have been taken to improve Ganja. Both the ancient and modern parts of Ganja are among the centers not only of Azerbaijan, but also of the region. Numerous projects related to infrastructure have been implemented here. Gasification is at the level of 100 per cent. Electricity is supplied fully. A drinking water project is being implemented. As you know, this project requires huge funds and it is not very easy from a technical standpoint. Additional steps will be taken to implement this project. I am sure that in 2019 the problem of drinking water will be completely eliminated in Ganja and local residents will be provided with clean drinking water around the clock.

Steps have been and will continue to be taken to improve and modernize the road infrastructure. The Baku-Ganja highway meets the highest international standards, it is a four-lane, beautiful, smooth and high-speed road. Starting from next year, we will also expand the road from Ganja to the border with Georgia. This road leading to other cities and to the border is now two-lane, but it will be expanded to four lanes.

I also want the people of Ganja to know that I have ordered to study the issue related to the launch of the Baku-Ganja high-speed train. As you know, Azerbaijan is buying the world’s most modern trains, and this process will be continued. The first high-speed trains will travel from Baku to Sumgayit and to Ganja. The process of reconstruction of the railway is well under way. The Baku-Boyuk Kesik railway, of course, is fully operational today, but after the quality of this railway is improved, the speed of trains will reach almost 120 kilometers. Thus, it will be possible to travel from Baku to Ganja in a short time and with great comfort. All these projects are under way and will continue to be implemented, so that we create good conditions for our people, for our people to live even better. This is the goal of all infrastructure projects. Many of them have already been resolved and we will resolve all the others.

Great job was done in Ganja in relation to social and industrial projects in previous years too. I will take part in the opening and presentation of several facilities today. One of them is the dormitory of the State Agrarian University. This will be the second building. I also attended the opening of the first building – it is designed for 520 students. The new building will also house more than 500 students. City school No 1 has been overhauled, and I will examine that too. Large shopping centers are opening - "Ganja Mall" and "Grand Caucasus". Thousands of people will be provided with jobs at these two large retail sites. There are new parks in Ganja. Their presentation is also scheduled for today. We will also open a new museum. Ganja is a city of museums now. Ganja has presented many outstanding personalities to the Azerbaijani people, therefore there should be their museums in Ganja, and this issue is being resolved.

I remember opening the diagnostic and treatment center, the city hospital, the "ASAN xidmət" center, the Olympic sports center and some industrial facilities in Ganja in previous years. All of the work done is the factor that plays a crucial role in the industrial, economic and cultural life of Ganja.

In the coming years, we will also resolve some of the outstanding issues. First of all, of course, these are issues related to economic development. There are plans to set up new enterprises in Ganja. A lot is being done to create jobs. Two important facilities are to be built. I also want to inform you, the people of Ganja should know this, I have signed the order on the construction of the Ganja Drama Theater. Starting from next year, the construction of the theater will be continued, the necessary funds will be allocated, while the completion of the construction of the theater will already depend on the people of Ganja. There are also plans to build a large sports center. Back in the early 2000s, one of Azerbaijan’s first two Olympic sports centers was built in Ganja. It has been almost 15 years since that time. Then the Olympic Sports Center was thoroughly renovated. But the population of Ganja and the number of people who want to do sports are growing. Kids show great interest in sport. Therefore, there are also plans to build a modern sports center.

I know that the people of Ganja are also concerned about one other issue. It is associated with the repairs of multi-apartment buildings. There are 72 such buildings in the city and they will be repaired.

So I think that our meeting today is quite significant because we are opening this beautiful and magnificent philharmonic hall together. At the same time, due to the further development of Ganja, I want to inform you and the people of Ganja that Ganja is always in the spotlight, and the development of the city, the fact that it is being improved and landscaped makes me very happy. Ganja is a city dear to every citizen of Azerbaijan, our ancient center of culture and art. In recent years, fine work has been done to improve Ganja. Let me also add that the experience of 15 visits provides me with ample opportunities for comparison – I can see that Ganja has been experiencing a period of rapid development in recent Ganja. Historical buildings are being restored, new buildings built, alleys and parks established, and landscaping carried out. Today the entrance to Ganja is very beautiful and majestic – the works of great Nizami are pleasing to the eye. Currently, the world’s third biggest park is located in Ganja. This makes us very happy. The Heydar Aliyev Park is indeed a magnificent recreation area.

I want to congratulate the people of Ganja, the city leadership on these successes and achievements. I value your hard work very highly. I will continue to do everything possible for the comprehensive development of Ganja, so that the city can become even more prosperous and landscaped. I congratulate you on this remarkable event again.