The diplomatic community and the Jewish community in Ashgabat gathered on 28 January 2025 to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day in a solemn ceremony organized jointly by the United Nations Mission in Turkmenistan and the Embassy of Israel.
The event, which marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, began with the lighting of a memorial candle by Israeli Ambassador Ismail Khaldi, followed by a moment of silence honoring the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust.
In his remarks, Israeli Ambassador Khaldi emphasized the ongoing responsibility to combat antisemitism, particularly in light of recent global events. He highlighted the stories of diplomats recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, including Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara and Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who risked their careers and lives to save Jews during World War II.
German Ambassador Bernd Heinze reaffirmed Germany’s unwavering commitment to its historical responsibility for the Holocaust. “Germany stands unwaveringly by its historical responsibility for the Holocaust and the National Socialist regime,” Heinze stated, emphasizing that antisemitism has no place in modern German society.
UN Resident Coordinator Dmitry Shlapachenko delivered remarks on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, highlighting the UN’s recent launch of an Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism. The message particularly noted the importance of remembering both the horrors of the Holocaust and the courage of those who stood against it.
The ceremony included the screening of survivor testimonies and a documentary about Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. The event also featured a musical performance of “Eli, Eli,” a poem written by Hannah Szenes, a Jewish resistance fighter executed by the Nazis in 1944.
The Head of Middle East and African countries division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, along with members of the diplomatic corps and the Jewish community in Ashgabat attended the ceremony.
Azim Ashirov of the Embassy of Israel moderated the event. /// nCa, 29 January 2025
Here are some photos from the event:
