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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Oct 5 2012
Azerbaijan role model for peace and mutual understanding, says Aliyev
5 October 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev has stated that Azerbaijan is a
role model for peace and mutual understanding in the region, as a
country with a centuries-old multicultural lifestyle that is home to
diverse peoples and cultures living in peace and tranquility.
`Azerbaijan has a great experience of multicultural life. Communities
residing in Azerbaijan for centuries lived in peace and mutual
understanding. Multiculturalism, contrary to what is now said in some
circles, will be kept alive in the future and will be one of the most
important elements of economic and human development. Everyone must
strive to develop this understanding. There is no alternative to
multiculturalism. In the absence of this notion, the sense of being
isolated from the world starts. To avoid conflicts, all people must
live in cooperation and mutual understanding. I believe that the
issues discussed in the forum will help to elaborate on these
efforts,' Aliyev said in an opening speech at the Second International
Humanitarian Forum, launched on Thursday.
The two-day forum, one of the world's most influential scientific and
political platforms, was hosted by Azerbaijan in its capital Baku, and
boasted the participation of 694 people representing 70 countries and
seven influential international organizations, such as the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries.
As educated people are the main and most important resource for the
furtherance of understanding of multiculturalism in societies, Aliyev
emphasized that Azerbaijan is paying special attention to the field of
education.
Aliyev also noted that the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan,
despite remaining under the hegemony of other states for many years,
has been protected by the Azerbaijani people.
Drawing attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has remained
unresolved for more than two decades, Aliyev said: `Twenty years ago,
Armenia occupied Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
provinces. More than 1 million of our citizens were forced to leave
their homelands and became internally displaced people in their
country. Azerbaijan is a country that now has one of the highest
numbers of Internally displaced persons [IDPs] per capita in the
world. The international community is indifferent to the conflict of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Four resolutions of the United Nations Security
Council still remain inapplicable, and Armenia continues its
aggressive policy in the region. Despite the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
remaining an unsettled problem, Azerbaijan has scored significant
achievements in the period of its independence. Our economy has grown
three times in seven to eight years, and the country's poverty rate
fell to 7 percent from 49 percent.'
Commenting on the success of the former International Humanitarian
Forum held in Baku last year, Aliyev expressed his belief that this
year's forum would be at least as productive.
Oct 5 2012
Azerbaijan role model for peace and mutual understanding, says Aliyev
5 October 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev has stated that Azerbaijan is a
role model for peace and mutual understanding in the region, as a
country with a centuries-old multicultural lifestyle that is home to
diverse peoples and cultures living in peace and tranquility.
`Azerbaijan has a great experience of multicultural life. Communities
residing in Azerbaijan for centuries lived in peace and mutual
understanding. Multiculturalism, contrary to what is now said in some
circles, will be kept alive in the future and will be one of the most
important elements of economic and human development. Everyone must
strive to develop this understanding. There is no alternative to
multiculturalism. In the absence of this notion, the sense of being
isolated from the world starts. To avoid conflicts, all people must
live in cooperation and mutual understanding. I believe that the
issues discussed in the forum will help to elaborate on these
efforts,' Aliyev said in an opening speech at the Second International
Humanitarian Forum, launched on Thursday.
The two-day forum, one of the world's most influential scientific and
political platforms, was hosted by Azerbaijan in its capital Baku, and
boasted the participation of 694 people representing 70 countries and
seven influential international organizations, such as the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries.
As educated people are the main and most important resource for the
furtherance of understanding of multiculturalism in societies, Aliyev
emphasized that Azerbaijan is paying special attention to the field of
education.
Aliyev also noted that the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan,
despite remaining under the hegemony of other states for many years,
has been protected by the Azerbaijani people.
Drawing attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has remained
unresolved for more than two decades, Aliyev said: `Twenty years ago,
Armenia occupied Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent
provinces. More than 1 million of our citizens were forced to leave
their homelands and became internally displaced people in their
country. Azerbaijan is a country that now has one of the highest
numbers of Internally displaced persons [IDPs] per capita in the
world. The international community is indifferent to the conflict of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Four resolutions of the United Nations Security
Council still remain inapplicable, and Armenia continues its
aggressive policy in the region. Despite the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
remaining an unsettled problem, Azerbaijan has scored significant
achievements in the period of its independence. Our economy has grown
three times in seven to eight years, and the country's poverty rate
fell to 7 percent from 49 percent.'
Commenting on the success of the former International Humanitarian
Forum held in Baku last year, Aliyev expressed his belief that this
year's forum would be at least as productive.