Baku hosts third session of world forum on intercultural dialogue
Baku, April 8 (AZERTAC). The third session of the world forum on intercultural dialogue on “Women as key agents of intercultural dialogue” was held here Friday.
Head of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill ambassador Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event.
The session was co-chaired by Azerbaijan`s first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and Katérina Stenou, Director, Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, UNESCO.
Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva welcomed the guests and told of significance of the forum. Azerbaijan`s first lady said over the recent years, Baku became a center of intercultural dialogue. “Looking back to the past, we could enumerate some international events. Last year, Baku hosted the world summit of religious leaders. Baku was announced a capital of Islamic culture in 2009. A meeting of the ministers of culture of OIC member states as well as the European countries was also held this year. In 2008 Azerbaijan hosted international woman conference and adopted Baku declaration on role of women in intercultural dialogue,” said Mrs. Aliyeva.
On a favorable milieu for conducting such events in Azerbaijan, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva said since the ancient times, Azerbaijan is known as a country open to the world. The Catholic temple, Orthodox Church, Jewish synagogue, which are located next to the Muslim mosque are a vivid evidence of tolerance in the country, she said. The first lady of Azerbaijan expressed her confidence the opinions and offers of the forum participants will make a worthy contribution to strengthening of the intercultural dialogue.
Katérina Stenou, Director, Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, UNESCO stressed the importance of the session in stirring up of the women` role in intercultural dialogue. “Intercultural dialogue is a stable process relying on the universal values. The cohabitation demands a mutual understanding from all members of the society. A culture plays a basic role in gender equality and justice,” she said.
In their speeches, deputy chairman of the Russian Council of Federation Svetlana Orlova, member of the European Parliament Pashida Dati, director of the center for intercultural dialogue of the USA Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz underlined that various political, social and cultural issues taking place in the world have many things in common.
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