World media widely covered President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the opening of WUF13

19 May 2026 20:58

Politics 12

The 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku remains in the spotlight of global media.

As reported by AZERTAC, news agencies, television channels, print media, and news websites of many countries covered the WUF13 opening ceremony, informing their multimillion audiences about the significance of the forum's agenda, attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

A number of television channels organized live broadcasts from the WUF13 opening ceremony.

Numerous news publications featured excerpts from the Azerbaijani leader's speech.

Attention was focused on President Ilham Aliyev's words about the rapid pace of Azerbaijan's urban development, the restoration of Karabakh and East Zangazur, and the "Great Return" State Program.

Special attention was given to the Azerbaijani leader's statements on the significance of the international event's agenda, attended by tens of thousands of delegates from around the world.

Publications note that the number of registered participants at the forum in Baku is a record, making WUF13 the second largest international event ever held in Azerbaijan after COP29.

The words of UN-Habitat representatives, who called the level of interest in the forum in Baku unprecedented, are cited. Coverage includes the video address of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the forum participants, in which he emphasized that housing directly affects people's health, education, and future opportunities, noting the importance of the discussions in Azerbaijan.

It is noted that the WUF13 platform provides foreign guests with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the transformations in urban planning and architecture in Azerbaijan.

It is indicated that officials of certain states, particularly Turkey, have expressed their readiness to draw on Azerbaijan's experience in organizing international events, including in preparation for the COP31 climate summit.