Diversity is a source of solidarity

On October 27, the opening ceremony of the VII World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on the theme "Dialogue for a Common Future" was held in Baku, attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the newspaper "Kaspiy" writes.

The VII World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was aimed at transforming declarative values into practical mechanisms for countering global division and societal fragmentation. The Forum became a key element of the "Baku Process," recognized by the UN as one of the leading global platforms for promoting intercultural and interreligious cooperation.

The fact that more than 2,000 guests participated in the forum's work, including over 500 foreign guests from more than 100 countries, clearly demonstrated that over 15 years the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue has evolved into one of the most effective and inclusive international platforms for discussing issues of intercultural relations.

A Relevant Agenda

"Of course, issues related to intercultural and interreligious relations occupy a central place on our agenda," said the head of the Azerbaijani state Ilham Aliyev in his speech at the forum, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has historically always been a multicultural country, and the traditions of multiculturalism, religious and ethnic tolerance are the factors that our people have been guided by for centuries and which we highly value.

Thus, one of the main reasons for Azerbaijan's successful and stable development is the harmony in our society, where representatives of all ethnic groups and religions not only enjoy equal rights in accordance with our Constitution but also live as one family.

"We truly stand out for a very high level of solidarity, mutual respect and mutual understanding, and we are all united around our national ideas. One of them is Azerbaijanism, which unites all the peoples of Azerbaijan. This unity has manifested itself during the most difficult periods of our independent history. During the years of military aggression and occupation by Armenia, as well as during the second Karabakh war, representatives of all ethnic groups and religions fought as one iron fist, which became a symbol of our Victory — to defend their identity, uphold justice and restore territorial integrity," President Ilham Aliyev stated, noting that such a powerful manifestation of unity once again confirms the character of our society.

The Root of Conflicts

In his speech, the head of state also touched upon the root causes of all conflicts — ambitions, aggression, a sense of superiority and impunity. In this regard, he raised the question of the mechanism for implementing decisions of international organizations.

Ilham Aliyev proposed completely eradicating the policy of double standards from international politics, emphasizing that double standards also mean when someone takes it upon themselves to teach you how to live.

"And any