Baku, December 14, 2025 – The Europe Today: Under the roadmap of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre has launched a collaboration initiative with national drama theatres in the People’s Republic of China. Theatre Director Ilham Asgarov, an Honored Cultural Worker, is currently visiting China to advance the partnership.
During the visit, Asgarov held meetings at the national drama theatres of Gansu and Shandong provinces, as well as at the Shandong Grand National Drama Theatre, where prospects for cooperation were discussed.
A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Gansu National Drama Theatre and the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre. The agreement covers staging works from both countries’ national dramaturgy, conducting master classes, organizing tours for creative teams, and implementing joint projects.
Wei Shoulin, Director of the Gansu National Drama Theatre, expressed strong interest in partnering with the Azerbaijani theatre and praised the initiative.
At the signing ceremony, Ilham Asgarov thanked the culture ministries of both countries for supporting the initiative, highlighting that the collaboration will significantly strengthen cultural relations between Azerbaijan and China. He underscored President Ilham Aliyev’s successful policies in fostering international partnerships, including recent agreements under the 2025–2029 Cultural Cooperation Protocol signed in Beijing.
Asgarov noted that a key objective of the visit is to familiarize with modern Chinese theatre equipment for potential future exhibitions and applications in Azerbaijan, expressing confidence that the partnership will bring renewed energy to theatrical life in both nations and further enhance cultural ties.
The visit also included observations of rehearsal processes at the Shandong Grand Theatre and Shandong National Drama Theatre, with further discussions on expanding collaborative projects.
