Tolerance, multicultural values represent norms of democratic coexistence in Azerbaijani society Letter by Azerbaijani President

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to the participants of the Global Dialogue Forum organized by the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Lisbon.

“Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of different civilizations, has never experienced discrimination and conflict based on ethnicity and religion and has historically had progressive national, cultural, and religious relations based on mutual trust and respect,” a message by President Aliyev said, Caliber.Az reports.

“Tolerance and multicultural values represent norms of democratic coexistence in Azerbaijani society. High-profile events such as the traditional World Intercultural Dialogue Forum, the International Humanitarian Forum, and the Summit of World Religious Leaders held in Baku have played an important role in the development of intercultural relations. We believe that ethnic and cultural diversity is not a dividing line but rather a unique asset that serves harmonious development among nations,” the letter noted.

"I am sure that the summit of world religious leaders scheduled for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Azerbaijan in November this year, will once again confirm the importance of the solidarity of politicians and religious figures in addressing the problems of global climate change,” the president added.

“Currently, the geostrategic contradictions occurring in different regions of our planet and in different geographies show that the international security architecture is changing. This requires new approaches to bilateral and multilateral relations. Modern challenges have exposed the need to correctly define the role of religion in public life and international relations, prevent the use of religion for political purposes, and strengthen cooperation between civilizations,” the message said.