BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. A press conference was held in Baku ahead of the XII Global Baku Forum, scheduled to take place from March 13 to 15, 2025, Trend reports.
The forum is organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and will be held under the theme "Rethinking World Order: Turning Challenges into Opportunities".
Discussions will focus on key global issues, including geopolitical shifts, multilateralism, the global health crisis, recovery and regional stability, COP29, and more.
The forum is expected to bring together over 300 world leaders from more than 60 countries, including more than 25 former presidents, over 15 former prime ministers, around 10 UN and international agency heads, and over 25 former ministers and deputy ministers.
Addressing the press conference participants, Ismail Serageldin, co-chairman of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) and former Vice President of the World Bank, pointed out that the XII Global Baku Forum promises to be a significant event, bringing together world leaders, international organization representatives, and scholars for open and meaningful discussions. "The forum will gather approximately four hundred participants, including at least 50 current and former presidents and prime ministers, as well as heads of UN agencies and leading academics," he said.
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), added that global issues, regardless of their scale, must be resolved through negotiations and discussions.
In her view, the escalating tensions between nations these days are a real can of worms that should raise eyebrows. In times like these, it's crucial for nations championing peace to strike while the iron is hot and nail down ceasefire agreements. "We are convinced that all global issues must be addressed through negotiations, regardless of their scale. Currently, we are witnessing troubling changes in the international situation," she added.
Jean Baderschneider, former Vice President of ExxonMobil and CEO of The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, noted that Climate change is an existential challenge, and Azerbaijan, at the forefront of global discussions, plays a crucial role in addressing this issue. "The world is rapidly changing. Today, we face global challenges that require decisive actions, including climate change. Last year, Azerbaijan showed its active stance on the world stage at COP29, taking on ambitious commitments and engaging in complex discussions. Our task now is to define the path from COP29 to COP30, to strengthen the powerful platform created during Azerbaijan's presidency," she noted.
Former President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev added that, in the future, there will be an intensification of cooperation and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries, which is a positive factor for the entire region. "We are proud of our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. We are very grateful because, in a difficult moment, Azerbaijan proved its reliability. For example, when Gazprom stopped gas supplies to Bulgaria in one day, Azerbaijan was able to step in and develop a strategic partnership and trustworthy relations," noted Plevneliev.
