Baku, September 29, AZERTAC

The 5th Baku International Humanitarian Forum has today continued with a plenary session following the opening ceremony.

The first part of the session, attended by head of the Azerbaijan`s Presidential Administration, academician of National Academy of Sciences Ramiz Mehdiyev, was chaired by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. It heard speeches from political and religious leaders.

Vice-president of the Republic of Bulgaria Margarita Popova hailed the importance of the Forum, saying it features discussions on pressing issues. She thanked the Azerbaijani government for "excellent" organization of the event.

Ms Popova highlighted Azerbaijan's contribution to the preservation and promotion of multiculturalism and multicultural values.

Chairman of the Clerical Office of Caucasus Muslims Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade drew the audience`s attention to ways of preventing and combating religious extremism.

Former President of the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesic pointed to increasing xenophobic tendencies in Europe. He called on media organizations and politicians to be more responsible. Mr Mesic noted the role of the intercultural and interreligious dialogue addressing global challenges, and hailed the importance of the 5th Baku International Humanitarian Forum in this regard.

Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk said all people must have equal opportunities and rights so that intercultural and interreligious dialogue is ensured.

Chairman of the Assembly of Representatives of the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan Shukurjon Zuhurov highlighted the growing prestige of the Baku International Humanitarian Forum. "The Baku forum pushes brand new ideas every year which contribute to the expansion of relations among nations and cultures.

Spiritual leader of India Sri Sri Ravishankar Swami Jyothirmayah thanked the Azerbaijani government for organizing the forum.

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Gerardo Amarilla, Associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper (USA), Vice-speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Argentine Republic Patricia Gimenez, President of the Buddhist Association of China Xue Cheng, Secretary of State of the Republic of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova, President of the Conference of the Imams of France Hassen Chalghoumi, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union Commission Aisha Abdullahi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hesham Youssef, Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO Michael Worbs also made speeches at the session.

The second part of the plenary session was attended by Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva. It was chaired by President of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, academician Akif Alizade. It heard speeches from Nobel Prize laureates.

Mr Alizade opened the session, saying 13 Nobel laureates will highlight current global challenges and ways of addressing them.

Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize Winner in Literature, underlined the necessity of stepping up efforts to help refugees and displaced.

Rudolph Arthur Marcus, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, spoke of the ongoing global changes.

Richard John Roberts, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine, Rudolf Martin Zinkernagel, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine, Robert Betts Laughlin, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, Edward Prescott, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Avraham Hershko, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Finn Kydland, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics, George Fitzgerald Smoot III, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, Ada Yonath, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Dan Shechtman, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Arieh Warshel, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, also addressed the session.