Anar Karimov: Cultural diplomacy should be revived through UNESCO

Cultural diplomacy should be revived through UNESCO in international relations. Ambassador Anar Karimov, head of the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, said in an interview to the journal of the Institute for International Relations and Strategy of France.

In his interview, Ambassador spoke about the history of our country's membership in UNESCO and its contribution to the activities of this international organization. He also spoke about the contribution of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva to the development of relations between UNESCO and our country, as well as to the culture, music, education and intercultural dialogue. Anar Karimov said that the activity of Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva was highly appreciated by the organization and she was recognized as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, thanks to whom many monuments of cultural and historical heritage were included in the World Heritage List of the Organization.

The Ambassador spoke about tolerance in Azerbaijan, which is the epicenter of intercultural dialogue, living in friendly neighborhood with various ethnic groups. He stressed that President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the "Baku Process" in our country located between the West and the East. He noted that the "Baku process" promotes intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, and today our country has become a platform for intercultural dialogue. Baku hosts the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which has been supported by UNESCO for several years. The Azerbaijani model of tolerance and coexistence was formed, and this is an example for all countries of the world.

Speaking about the active participation of our country in UNESCO projects, diplomat spoke about the conflict that Azerbaijan faced over 25 years, the importance of safeguarding the cultural and historical heritage in armed conflicts and our country’s contribution to this sphere.