President Aliyev is due to attend the International Bertelsmann Forum which is to start tomorrow and meet with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, APA reports.

The International Bertelsmann Forum (IBF), which takes place every two years organized by the Carl Bertelsmann Foundation, is a confidential dialogue between top European representatives from the fields of politics, culture and the media on current and strategic issues of European policy.

The Forum will focus on political and economic prospects of Europe tomorrow. This Forum on the eve of Germany's taking over chairmanship of the European Union Council will give an important impetus to the implementation of European initiatives.

The latest International Bertelsmann Forum in January 2004 brought together heads of state and government from over 30 countries and parliament presidents and ministers from 24 countries.