Baku, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) held graduation ceremony for the Advanced Foreign Service Program, attended by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, as well as senior representatives of government agencies, the diplomatic corps and the private sector.

ADA Rector, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev delivered the keynote speech at the ceremony, stating that it was an auspicious coincidence that the graduation ceremony was held on the eve of Republic Day. Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said the training of the new generation of diplomats would serve to defend Azerbaijan’s national interests abroad more professionally.

The Advanced Foreign Service Program is a six-month training course for diplomats and civil servants. The participants attended seminars and workshops on international relations, international law and economics, public diplomacy, consular services, as well as on communication, presentation, negotiation skills. 14 of the students have been granted one-month internships at Azerbaijani embassies in Spain, US, UK, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic.

Short documentary films promoting Azerbaijan made by the students of the Advanced Foreign Service Program were screened and graduation certificates were presented at the end of the ceremony.

The 29 graduates comprised junior and mid-level staff of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Agriculture, Culture and Tourism, Labor and Social Protection, and Communication and Information Technologies as well as the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, SOCAR and AG Bank.

About 120 civil servants have participated in the training courses through the Advanced Foreign Service Program over the past four years.