OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Excellency,

Allow me to congratulate you on your re-election as President of Azerbaijan – a country with strong commitment to UNESCO.

In my capacity of Director General of UNESCO from 2009 to 2017 I have fond memories of my visits to Azerbaijan and all the support that you personally have given to the Organization. Your participation in the Leaders Forum of the 38th General Conference of UNESCO, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2015, sent a strong message of endorsement of the vital role of the Organization in the achievement of global peace and Sustainable Development Goals inscribed in the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations.

Let me particularly emphasize once again and express my sincere appreciation for the fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNESCO during my tenure with the launch of four editions of the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue where I had the privilege to participate from the very beginning. All this reflects Azerbaijan’s long history on the Silk Road as a place of exchange, scholarship and art. The “Baku Process” that has emerged as a result of those fora has established itself as an important milestone in the global quest for peace and mutual understanding in response to instability and rising intolerance.

I am particularly grateful for the support to the Organization of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, Ms Mehriban Aliyeva, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical Tradition, in many UNESCO’s initiatives. The hosting of the 8th session of the intergovernmental committee on Intangible Heritage in 2013 and the numerous activities in the area of heritage and culture are a vivid testimony to the shared belief that education, culture and intercultural dialogue are the foundation of human development and of peace.

Let me wish you and the people of Azerbaijan further success and prosperity.

Irina Bokova

Director General of UNESCO in 2009-2017