19.11.08
Press release
Swedish Business Delegation to Azerbaijan 19-20 of November
Dear Mr. President,
I note with pleasure that this is the 4 th occasion I have the privilege of meeting you and as a partner and good friend of Dr. Baguirov I am deeply gratified to have been asked to address you with a few words.
On behalf of the Nobel Family, the Nobel Charitable Trust and the Nobel Benevolent Society I would like to extend our very sincere thanks to you, Mr. President, for your inspired leadership and patronage of the Villa Petrolea restoration, realized so magnificently by the Baku Nobel Heritage Foundation and its president Dr. Bagirov.
The opening of Villa Petrolea we sincerely believe will further strengthen the very positive Swedish – Azerbaijani relations existing today.
I envision Villa Petrolea to become a centre for culture and business in Baku and a natural meeting place for Swedish visitor and residents alike.
In addition, among the projects foreseen is the establishment of a world-class clinic adjacent to the villa in the name of my grand mother Martha Nobel-Oleinikoff. She was Russia’s first female doctor and sponsored a clinic at a hospital in St. Petersburg as well as a clinic at the Petrolea Village here.
There are also plans to recognize Emmanuel Nobel, the son of Ludwig Nobel and his personal contribution to the development of the oil industry in Baku.
As our ancestors contributed to the development of commerce, industry and science in this beautiful and dynamic country, which they considered as their second home we, members of the Nobel Family, would like to continue the fruitful relationship they established here over 140 years ago.
Therefore, let me give you some brief information about the Nobel Charitable Trust’s activities.
The Nobel Charitable Trust was established by four of us from the Nobel Family who are here today, Gustaf, Peter, Philip and myself. In addition my cousin Peter Nobel Oleinikoff, is a senior advisor to the NCT and, last but certainly not least, my close friend David Matsumoto, the president of NCT in Japan who came all the way over from Los Angeles to participate in this meeting.
The trust’s purpose is to develop specific external activities of the family with three particular aims:
- To organize a conference on alternative energies in memory of our great grandfather Ludwig Immanuel Nobel. The conference will try to identify and suggest remedies for the world’s energy needs a hundred years form now.
- During this conference we will bestow the Michael Nobel Energy medal to the scientist, the corporate executive and the political leader who has made the most valuable contribution to finding alternative and sustainable energies and or reduced pollution and global warming.
- We furthermore aim to provide scholarships to young scientists who lack the means to develop further their invention and to help them advance in their careers.
We have had declarations of interest to host the first conference in the coming years form countries such as Korea, Taiwan and Australia. We believe however that the country that should host the first conference should logically be Azerbaijan in view of its past history as home of the Nobel Brothers and the source of their commercial success.
We look forward to discuss and develop this project more in detail with the ministers concerned in your government.
Thank you Mr. President
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