The opening of the 2nd Congress of women of independent Republic of Azerbaijan was held on September 27, in the Respublika Palace.

The Congress held with the participation of Ambassadors accredited in Baku, representatives of international organizations, was opened by the Chairperson of the State Committee for Women’s Affairs Zahra Guliyeva.

The state anthem of Azerbaijan sounded. The Congress kept silence in honor of women died for the period after the first congress.

The agenda of the forum included the report of the Chairperson of the State Women’s Affairs Committee, a report of mandate commission and adoption of resulting documents.

Further, the congress elected the secretariat, editor and mandate commissions.

The head of humanitarian department of President’s Office Fatma Abdullazadeh read the congratulation letter of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the congress.

Besides, the Congress received congratulation letters from a number of foreign countries and international organizations of Turkey, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, UN Organization, Council of Europe and others.

Deputy coordinator of the UN Development Program in Azerbaijan, David Eizenberg congratulated women on this remarkable event. He said that the congress is an opportunity to show the role of women of Azerbaijan in the society. Important work is being carried out in Azerbaijan in this field and the government has achieved good results. After 1993, stability and security came to the country, and important steps on the way of democratic development were taken. All women in the world take more efforts in the name of the future of the motherland and their children. The UN Development Program highly appraises the work done in Azerbaijan in this field and will always be supporting it.

In her speech, the head of the human rights platform of the European Union, Mujgan Souver said, she was happy to see high activity of Azerbaijani women.

The head of the regional organization Kvemo-Kartli of the International association Georgian Women for peace and life, Nana Mosiadze told about actions taken for development of women’s movement in Azerbaijan and Georgia, care and attention of the President Heydar Aliyev and President Eduard Shevarnadze in the field, close and warm relations between women’s organizations of the neighboring countries and underlined a special role of state heads in strengthening of these relations.

Greeting the participants of the congress on behalf of Azerbaijanis residing abroad, Chairperson of Council of Women of Azerbaijani Congress of Ukraine Matanat Rzayeva underlined that respect towards Azerbaijan in all spots of the world has become possible due to merits of President Heydar Aliyev.

Ambassador of France to Azerbaijan, Chantal Poiret read the congratulation message of her country’s leaders and congratulated women on her behalf. She underlined that attention and care shown towards women in Azerbaijan deserve respect and underlined the importance of Presidential Decrees related to women’s problems and highly appraised the role of women in public and political life of Azerbaijan.

Further, Chairperson of the State Committee for women’s affairs Zahra Guliyeva made a wide report on the work done after the first congress. There have been difficult and remarkable days in lives of each of us for recent five years, she said. Big constructive work has been done in the country during this period, living standards of people improved, foreign and domestic policy carried out by President Heydar Aliyev raised the prestige of the country at the international arena.

For recent years, our women have become more active in public and political life of Azerbaijan, written in remarkable pages into the history of national women’s movement.

Our talented and wise women are prominently working today in all fields of science, education, culture, arts, health, state management and economy - they are daughters of great mothers, having left a trace in history. The head of the state has always showed care about women. There is no discrimination against women in our country. A national plan of actions on women’s affairs in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2000-2005 was worked out and approved by the Cabinet of Minister basing on strategy of the Beijing platform, adopted at the 4th World Women Conference.

Further the speeches to the congress were made by Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis, Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Tarana Guliyeva, leader of the women’s movement of Turkey Isilay Saygin, Deputy Minister of Culture Sevda Mamedaliyeva, Director general of the State agency for standards, metrology and patent Halida Masimova, Deputy Minister of Education Irada Huseynova, deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis standing commission Rabiyat Aslanova, Chairpersons of regional department of the “Sevil”organization and others.

In conclusion, the congress passed an address to people of Azerbaijan and final resolution.