The three-day VI World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue started in Baku today. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke at the opening of the forum. The theme of the forum is "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interaction".
At the opening of the event, Ilham Aliyev noted that the fact that representatives of more than 110 countries participate in the Forum demonstrates that it is an important international platform where issues of intercultural dialogue are discussed.
According to Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has been a place of cultural fusion for centuries. It has been facilitated by the country's geographical location between East and West. He emphasized that the multicultural and ethnically diverse Azerbaijani society has preserved the following important values over the centuries: tolerance, mutual respect, friendship and partnership.
The President also said that in Azerbaijan, representatives of various ethnic groups and religions live as one family. They are full citizens of Azerbaijan, true patriots of the state and statehood.
"We must strengthen these positive trends, cultural dialogue and cultural diversity. All this is a rich experience accumulated over centuries",
Ilham Aliyev said.
It is cultural diversity and mutual respect that are factors of peace, stability and solidarity in Azerbaijani society. According to the President, intercultural dialogue in Azerbaijan has always been very positive, and this is manifested in everyday life.
For the citizens of Azerbaijan, multiculturalism is not an abstract concept, but a way of life, the Azerbaijani leader noted.
"We are firmly committed to multilateralism. We have promoted the values of multilateralism in the Non-Aligned Movement from 2019 until the beginning of this year",
Ilham Aliyev said.
He noted that Azerbaijan took important steps towards the institutionalization of this global institution, initiated the creation of the Parliamentary Network, the Youth Organization and the Women's Platform during its chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement. The President of Azerbaijan expressed confidence that the institutionalization of the Non-Aligned Movement would continue in the future.
It is impossible to allow some large European countries to treat other countries as colonies in the 21st century, the Azerbaijani leader noted. This issue was raised by Baku at the international level in order to protect justice and international law, and not because Azerbaijan was against any country.
Azerbaijan also sees opportunities to build bridges within the framework of COP29. The country was unanimously chosen to host the event.
"In addition to discussing financial issues, which will be the main topic of COP29 anyway, we need solidarity and mutual trust",
Ilham Aliyev said.
Forum for Intercultural Dialogue
The sixth World Forum of Intercultural Dialogue is taking place in the capital of Azerbaijan. It will last from May 1 to May 3. The program includes ten panel discussions and four plenary sessions.
The event is attended by 700 high-ranking guests from more than 100 countries. Ministers and the ministries of culture representatives from different countries attended the forum. 28 international organizations were also represented.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan in partnership with such international organizations as the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), UNESCO, ICESCO and the UN World Tourism Organization.
