From June 3 to 5, 2026, the Faculty of Law of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University organized an international event dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Professor Rolf Knieper, a distinguished legal scholar from the University of Bremen, Germany.

An Azerbaijani delegation, including representatives of the Bank Ombudsman Institution and the Azerbaijan Bar Association (ABA), participated in the event.

The delegation included Ikram Karimov, Bank Ombudsman and Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Azerbaijan Bar Association; Elchin Hasanov, Executive Secretary of the Bank Ombudsman; Elchin Usub, a member of the Azerbaijan Bar Association; Aydin Suleymanov, former Azerbaijan Coordinator of the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ); and Shakir Safarbayov, former GTZ legal adviser for Azerbaijan.

The event brought together distinguished legal scholars, academics, and representatives of the legal community from Germany, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and several other countries.

Professor Rolf Knieper is one of the prominent legal scholars who made a significant contribution to the development of Azerbaijan's legal system during the country's period of independence. As one of the leaders of the GTZ project on the development of private law in the CIS countries, he actively participated in the drafting of the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure of the Republic of Azerbaijan and played a key role in aligning these important legislative acts with European standards. He also provided close support to the Azerbaijani side during discussions of these draft laws at the Council of Europe.

Throughout the years of cooperation, Professor Knieper established sincere friendships with Azerbaijan's legal community based on mutual respect and trust. During Azerbaijani legal delegations' visits to Germany, he accompanied them and made valuable contributions to their study of the modern European legal system and judicial practice.

Professor Knieper has also rendered outstanding services to legal reforms in Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and other countries by contributing to the development of modern legislative frameworks and legal systems. As a result, he has earned great respect and recognition among legal communities across many countries. The lasting friendships and professional relationships he has built are regarded as among the most valuable outcomes of his work.

The anniversary event was not only a tribute to Professor Knieper's remarkable achievements but also served as an important international platform demonstrating the value of friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding among different nations.

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of a commemorative publication marking Professor Knieper's 85th anniversary. The volume includes 35 memorial essays contributed by authors from various countries. Among them are articles by Ikram Karimov, Honored Lawyer of Azerbaijan, and legal scholar Aydin Suleymanov, both members of the Azerbaijani delegation.

During the event, Ikram Karimov delivered remarks, sharing his personal memories of Professor Knieper and highlighting the professor's significant role in the development of Azerbaijan's legal system. He also presented participants with a specially designed booklet entitled "Friendship of Nations: Azerbaijan – Georgia – Germany," prepared on his initiative.

Another notable event during the visit was the awarding of the title of Honorary Doctor of Tbilisi State University to Professor Maidan Suleymenov, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Head of the Institute of Civil Law at Caspian University, Doctor of Law, and a distinguished expert in international law and arbitration. Professor Suleymenov, who has participated in drafting major international agreements in Kazakhstan's energy sector and has consistently attached great importance to friendly relations with Azerbaijan, received the honor with the warm appreciation of the participants.

As part of the visit, and under a program organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Georgia, the delegation visited the monument to National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the park bearing his name in Tbilisi, where they laid flowers in tribute. The delegation also visited the house museums of Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, the founder of Azerbaijani dramaturgy, and prominent statesman Nariman Narimanov. They paid their respects at the graves of Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, Mirza Shafi Vazeh, and two founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Fatali Khan Khoyski and Hasan bey Agayev.

The Azerbaijani delegation expressed its sincere gratitude to Faig Guliyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia, for the excellent organization of the visit and the warm hospitality extended throughout the program.

The event held in Tbilisi once again demonstrated that legal scholarship and international legal cooperation contribute not only to the improvement of legislation but also to building and strengthening bridges of friendship among nations.