Azerbaijan, Baku, 30 May / Trend S.Aliev /
Participation in the second World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku is a great honour, Secretary General of UNESCO Irina Bokova said in a speech at the event held under the slogan 'Living Together Peacefully in a Diverse World' on Thursday.
Bokova expressed her gratitude for this opportunity to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
"Azerbaijan has become a centre of culture. The Old City is already in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the Nowruz holiday is on the list of intangible heritage as well as mugam," Bokova said.
According to her, opening new opportunities for the development of cultural diversity both between and within countries is very important in the current complicated conditions of conflict and crisis.
"For UNESCO, peace is achieved not only through economic and political actions, but also on an intellectual level. New forms of dialogue are required and therefore the years 2013-2022 are declared the International Decade of Rapprochement of Cultures," she noted.
The second World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue under the slogan 'Living Together Peacefully in a Diverse World' started in Baku on Thursday.
The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.