On 12 March, the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations and the affiliated Foundation for the Promotion of Spiritual Values organized an iftar ceremony in Kars.

The event was attended by officials from Azerbaijan and Türkiye, members of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, representatives of Kars NGOs, leadership of Kars Caucasus University, diplomatic mission representatives, local religious leaders, and community members.

Prof. Dr. Otuken Senger, Mayor of Kars, delivered the opening speech, expressing his pleasure at gathering for iftar with the delegation from the brotherly country of Azerbaijan during the holy month of Ramadan, which holds special significance for the Islamic world.

Ziya Polat, Kars Governor, highlighted the importance of Ramadan for the Islamic world and emphasized that the shared iftar table fosters solidarity, friendship, and cooperation.

Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations, spoke about the significance of the increasingly strengthened relations between the two fraternal countries, rooted in the sincere friendship, political will, and determination of their heads of state. He noted that the recent meeting between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye further demonstrated to the world that the countries are bound not only by shared ethnic and cultural values but also by common economic and geopolitical interests.

He added that ensuring religious freedom and strengthening cooperation in religious education, as well as promoting experience exchange, remain key priorities for bilateral collaboration.

Following the speeches, Jalal Jafarli, a student of the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology, delivered a recitation of the Qur’an. Ramadan prayers were offered by Yavuz Yıldız, Mufti of Kars Province, and Valeh Nasirov, representative of the Caucasus Muslims Board, before the iftar table was opened.