BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. The International Astronautical Congress is returning to the South Caucasus region after half a century, chairman of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship Tahir Mirkishili said during the 13th international session of the IAF, Trend reports.
"Let me say that this is a very rational choice. A rational choice because it is a return to traditions, here in Baku, 50 years ago, in 1973, the 24th congress was held on the initiative of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev. This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the great leader and honor his memory. Now our country is hosting the biggest space event - the 74th International Astronautical Congress in 2023. This means that the International Astronautical Congress is returning to our region after half a century. Both in terms of content and number of participants, this congress is more representative than all previous ones," he said.
"You have made a very rational choice, as Baku is the heart of this region," he added.
The International Astronautical Congress has been held annually since 1950 under the auspices of the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law with the support of the International Astronautical Federation.
The history of the International Astronautical Congress in Azerbaijan dates back to 1973. Thus, on the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the 24th International Astronautical Congress was held in Azerbaijan on October 7-13, 1973 under the motto "Space Research - Penetration of Science and Technology", thus Baku became the first city in South Caucasus region where this event was organized. And on October 25-29, 2019, Baku won the right to host the most prestigious event of the space industry for the second time at the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation in Washington, DC. Thus, the 74th International Astronautical Congress "Global Challenges and Opportunities: Give Space a Chance", organized by Azerbaijan's space agency Azercosmos, will be held in Baku on October 2-6, 2023.