Baku, Azerbaijan, May 18
By Seymur Aliyev - Trend:
The current time is critically important, dialogue and courage are needed to overcome its challenges, said Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Amin Madani.
"Forums similar to the one being held in Baku today, are needed for this dialogue, since culture is one of the basic elements of states' economic stability," said Madani.
He made the remarks during the official opening ceremony for the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue that kicked off in Baku May 18.
"In each visit to Baku, we discover something new," he said. "This city is very dynamic in terms of its spirit, energy which is palpable. It is not only related to Azerbaijan's geographical position, but also to the country's leadership, its vision that turned the country into what it is today."
He added that OIC is fully committed to the dialogue process, creation of partner relations with other organizations to reach understanding.
"Our task is to create interrelation between what we are discussing here, and the possibility to convey it to the ordinary people who live in conflict zones, or to those who can't return to their lands due to the disagreements in religious and national issues," OIC secretary general said.
Madani said that everyone should strive for multiculturalism.
"Today, we need to deeply think over the fact that each society and country is a kind of a common "pot" for various cultures and nationalities," he said. "We have to make efforts in the multicultural world, while this common "pot" gives us a single point of view."
OIC secretary general added that different cultures can be harmonic parts of this "pot".
The forum is being held under the patronage of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The forum's partners are UNESCO and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.