The World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which was held in Baku for the first time six years ago, has become global international event, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, speaking at the opening of the forum.
"Since that time, the forum has transformed into a global international event, addressing one of the most important issues on the global agenda - intercultural dialogue," AzerTAc cited the President as saying.
He recalled that the importance of every international event, including forums, is judged not only by the topics of discussions, but also by the list of participants.
"We are very happy that more than 800 guests representing more than 120 countries are participating today at the forum. First of all it demonstrates the importance of the forum, and the importance of the discussions that we will have today and tomorrow. We are proud that the number of partners of the forum, organizations, which are organizers of the forum, is also growing," President Aliyev said, adding that the government of Azerbaijan is organizing this forum in partnership with UNESCO, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, ISESCO, the Council of Europe, and the World Tourism Organization.
"I am sure that the discussions and exchange of views during the forum will contribute to promotion of intercultural dialogue," he stressed.
Ilham Aliyev recalled that Azerbaijan, for centuries was a place where civilizations and cultures met. "Our geography, our history and development in Azerbaijan demonstrate that intercultural dialogue is one of the most important issues," the President noted, adding that without it, the world would be a much more dangerous place.
"Our history, our traditions, our geography actually dictated that Azerbaijan could be and should be an area where civilizations meet," the president said.
"And for centuries, people inhabited in Azerbaijan, are living in a diverse environment. Multiculturalism, ethnic and religious diversity is our history and today's reality. And we're proud of that. Today Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country, and representatives of all the ethnic groups and religions live in peace and harmony," Ilham Aliyev said.
He added that the country's historical monuments also clearly demonstrate the cultural diversity of Azerbaijan and its ancient history.
