Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan are laying the foundation for a future school in the Karabakh village of Khidyrli

As a sign of solidarity and friendship, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took part in a solemn ceremony on April 25 dedicated to laying a time capsule in the foundation of a future secondary school in the Karabakh village of Khidyrli.

According to the press service of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, this school will become evidence of a strong bond between the two peoples, and Kyrgyzstan will present it as a gift to Azerbaijan.

The ceremony began with a vivid demonstration of cultural exchange, when the Akyns — traditional poets and musicians — improvised greetings in Kyrgyz and Azerbaijani, emphasizing the rich linguistic and artistic heritage shared by the two countries.

After the cultural exchange, Presidents Zhaparov and Aliyev got acquainted with the school construction project, got acquainted with the design and layout of the educational institution. As a symbolic act, each of them wrote messages to future generations in which they expressed their hopes and aspirations for the students who would one day live within the walls of the school. These messages were then sealed in a time capsule, which the presidents jointly lowered into the foundation of the school.

The groundbreaking ceremony was not just symbolic, as the presidents, by pressing special buttons, initiated the start of construction, signaling the beginning of a new chapter in Khydyrli.

The two-storey school, designed for 22 classrooms, reflects the desire to provide high-quality education to the youth of Khydyrli. In addition to the educational facilities, the educational institution will have sports and assembly halls, a library, laboratories, as well as rooms for computer science and basic military training. The inclusion of such diverse amenities highlights the holistic approach to education provided for students.

The importance of the village of Khydyrly is not lost in this undertaking. Historically, it has witnessed conflict since it was occupied by the Armenian armed forces during the Karabakh War in 1993. For almost three decades, it remained under Armenian control until its liberation and return to Azerbaijani control in 2020. The construction of a school in the area carries a profound message about the resilience, renewal and transformative power of education in rebuilding communities affected by conflict.