BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7. Azerbaijan submitted its proposal (on the country's Hirkan Forests) for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's transnational nomination at the end of 2022, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev said, Trend reports.
He made the remark at the opening ceremony of the 9th meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY [International Organization of Turkic Culture] member states. This meeting was organized by TURKSOY jointly with the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO under the President of Azerbaijan, ADA University, and its Institute for Development and Diplomacy. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the International Organization of Turkic Culture.
The minister stated that work has started on the establishment of geoparks and involving the UNESCO global network of geoparks on the territory of Azerbaijan in accordance with the resolution adopted at the 8th meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY member nations.
Hirkan National Park is a national park in Azerbaijan. It was established in an area in Lankaran and Astara administrative districts on February 9, 2004 on the basis of the former "Hirkan State Reserve" which it superseded, on a surface area of 29,760 hectares. It was enlarged in 2008 to 40,358 hectares.
The area of Hirkan National Park is almost entirely covered by forests in a primarily mountainous region and is strictly protected. It constitutes one of the largest contiguous forests in Azerbaijan, which is not interrupted by any settlement or pasture.