Baku, July 8, AZERTAC

“Under the successful chairmanship of Azerbaijan, valuable contributions were made to the activities of the Non-Aligned Movement over the last four years. The major humanitarian missions as well as important steps that promote solidarity and lead to sustainable peace has been carried out under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan H.E Ilham Aliyev”.

These words were underlined by the President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Gunay Afandiyeva, during her speech at the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Baku under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the changes that took place during the past period, the effects of the pandemic period Gunay Afandiyeva mentioned: “The happening taught us to appreciate each other. We re-vised our values”.

Noting that the Non-Aligned Movement has been a symbol of unity, independence and impartiality since its inception the President of the Foundation said: “The Movement has united voices of nations that have sought to maintain their sovereignty and chart their own course, free from the influence of major power blocs. Each nation’s voice on Earth holds significance”.

Gunay Afandiyeva drew attention to the growing need of tolerance and to further expand intercultural dialogue in nowdays. The president of the Foundation assessed the intercultural dialogue as a communication tool between peoples and countries.

She expressed that the main mission of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, which studies and promotes the rich culture of the Turkic people, is to bring together different civilizations and play the role of a cultural bridge between peoples.

“The Foundation implements projects around the world in cooperation with foreign countries in order to intensify cultural exchanges between Turkic states and other countries. Our goal is to instill a sensitive approach to the national, material and spiritual values of countries, to preserve universal treasure. Becoming aware of our differences, and discovering, recognizing and introducing our similarities is to get closer and closer” - mentioned the President of the Foundation.

Gunay Afandiyeva touched on the global threats, inhumane behavior and acts of vandalism facing humanity. The president of the Foundation condemned the terrible facts in the liberated Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan, the massive destruction of historical pearls, the desecration of religious monuments, cemeteries, the burning of libraries, valuable archives, and manuscripts.

Gunay Afanbdiyeva emphasized: “As we remain silent in the face of atrocities, the number of such cases increases even more. We must express our uniformity and steadfastness in the face of this threat, this challenge. We must clearly demonstrate our just position and strengthen our solidarity to prevent such acts in the future”.

In the end, the president of the Foundation said that the organization she leads can contribute to the establishment of stronger relations between the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, to the promotion of mutual understanding and cultural dialogue among them.

“By harnessing this potential together, we can embark on a path of shared development and prosperity” - Gunay Afandiyeva stated.