Azerbaijani president attends 7th Global Baku Forum [UPDATE]

By  Trend

The 7th Global Baku Forum has kicked off in the capital of Azerbaijan under the motto "A New Foreign Policy”.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the forum.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Albanian President Ilir Meta, Member of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic, Moldovan President Igor Dodon, Montenegrin President Milo Dukanovic, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, former heads of state and government, heads of international organizations, well-known public and political figures, and scientists are among the participants of the forum.

The participants of the forum posed together for photographs.

Co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center Ismail Serageldin declared the forum open.

President Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the event.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Albanian President Ilir Meta, Member of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic, Moldovan President Igor Dodon, Montenegrin President Milo Dukanovic, and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Augusto Massari read out President Sergio Mattarella's, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Azerbaijan Carole Crofts read out Prime Minister Theresa May's, and Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Mirjana Egger read out Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ messages to the forum participants.

Co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga then addressed the opening ceremony.

The event then featured the presentation of the Nizami Ganjavi International Award for 2019. President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Kerry Kennedy received the Nizami Ganjavi International Award by the decision of the Center’s Board of Trustees.

Over 500 delegates from 50 countries attend the three-day Forum.

The Forum features 10 sessions which will discuss global and regional issues.