Astana, June 21, AZERTAC

The 13th Forum of Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS member states has been held at the National Museum in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Held under the motto “Dialogue in the CIS - prospects for humanitarian cooperation in the 21st century”, the forum is the largest annual humanitarian event in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Azerbaijan was represented at the event by a large delegation. The delegation included vice-president of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), director of Institute of Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry named after M. Naghiyev, academician Dilgam Taghiyev, rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, academician Urkhan Alakbarov, director of Azerbaijan State Philharmonic, People's Artist Murad Adigozalzade, and other scientists and arts figures.

The opening ceremony was attended by about 200 representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and other countries. State Secretary of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova read out a congratulatory message of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, while Special Representative of the Russian President Mikhail Shvydkoy read out a congratulatory message of President Vladimir Putin to the forum participants.

The event then featured a ceremony to award laureates of the Stars of Commonwealth Award for 2017. Among the laureates of the award this year are rector of the Baku branch of Moscow State University, vice-president of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), professor Nargiz Pashayeva, outstanding Russian musician, violist, conductor, famous teacher, public figure, People’s Artist of the USSR Yuri Bashmet, rector of Kazakh National University of Arts, public figure, People's Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aiman Mussakhajaeva, academician of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, professor, director of the National Center of Space Technologies of the Technical University, laureate of state prizes of the Republic of Moldova in the field of science and technology Ion Bostan, Director of the Institute of Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic named after Chingiz Aytmatov, academician Abdyldazhan Akmataliev, People's Poet of the Republic of Tajikistan, chairman of the Union of Writers of Tajikistan Nizom Qosim, and famous Belarus biathlete, four-time Olympic champion, Honored Master of Sport and Hero of Belarus Darya Domracheva.

Rector of the Baku branch of Moscow State University, ANAS vice-president, academician Nargiz Pashayeva was invited to receive the Stars of Commonwealth Award for her scientific and humanitarian activities. Professor Nargiz Pashayeva expressed her gratitude to the participants and organizers of the Forum for recognition of her activities.

Addressing the event, Minister of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly noted that the forums held by the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation of the CIS countries discuss the pressing issues in culture, education, science, information, sports and tourism areas. He hailed Azerbaijan’s role in scientific and humanitarian cooperation within the CIS and thanked academician Nargiz Pashayeva for the significant contribution she makes to the world science, culture, and development of dialogue of civilizations.

Head of the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation Polad Bulbuloglu underlined the importance of holding such forums. He noted that the issues of humanitarian cooperation should constantly be the focus of attention.

Head of the Azerbaijani delegation, rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Urkhan Alakbarov noted that such events open wide opportunities for the development of ties between countries of the Commonwealth in the fields of science and education and for exchange of experience.

The Stars of Commonwealth Award was instituted by the CIS Humanitarian Cooperation Council in 2009. The award is annually bestowed in three nominations: science and education, culture and arts, and humanitarian activity.

The Astana Forum named the city of Brest of the Republic of Belarus the CIS Capital of Culture for 2019.

Ilaha Ahmadova

Special Correspondent