POLITICS
Intercultural dialogue today is needed as never before, President Ilham Aliyev
Baku, November 18, AZERTAC
“Intercultural dialogue today is needed as never before,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev told the Leaders' Forum of the 38th Session of UNESCO General Conference in Paris. “When we launched Baku Process situation in the world in 2008 was absolutely different. Today we see that the level of mutual mistrust is growing. We see that if we don’t take adequate measures the confrontation based on the religious, ethnic grounds will create even bigger problems for all of us. But we can live in peace. And, I think, the example of countries like Azerbaijan demonstrates that. In our country representatives of all religions live in peace and friendship.” “Our government, state invests into the construction of not only mosques, but construction and reconstruction of churches, Orthodox and Catholic churches, synagogues. We are proud that one of the oldest, maybe the oldest church in the Caucasus, is situated in Azerbaijan, near the ancient city of Shaki. We are also proud that one of the most ancient mosques, which was built in 1743, is situated in the ancient Azerbaijani city of Shamakhi. All the representatives of different confessions celebrate religious holidays at the same table.” “Therefore, multiculturalism for us is not just an idea which is being discussed today whether it works or doesn’t work, whether it’s failed or not, for us multiculturalism is our tradition. Today it is not only tradition, it is a straight state policy, and our lifestyle,” the President added.