A bust of Azerbaijani national hero Mehti Huseynzadeh - Mihajlo, who fell in a World War II battle in the village of Vitovlje, was unveiled on Thursday in Sempas in western Slovenia. "Mihajlo fought against Fascism, so he is also a Slovenian hero", Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Elchin Efendiyev said at the ceremony.
"This is an important day, as we are unveiling a monument to a son of Azerbaijani people, who is also a son of Slovenian people," said Efendiyev, who headed a delegation which also laid a wreath on Mihajlo's grave in Cepovan.
Mayor of Nova Gorica Mirko Brulc said at the ceremony that Slavic people were sentenced to death in the WWII, so the rebellion against Fascism and Nazism knew no bounds. He expressed hope that the bust, made by acclaimed Azerbaijani artist Akif Asgarov, would become a bridge of bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism and culture.
The ceremony was attended by more than 200 people, including Mihajlo's relatives and representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Vienna.
Mehti Huseynzadeh - Mihajlo joined the IX corps after he returned from German captivity. He and around 400 other Azerbaijanis fought in the Russian battalion, which was a part of the corps.
The place where Mihajlo was killed in November 1944 was already marked by a memorial plaque.
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