Over 120 young delegates from Azerbaijan and North Caucasus have come together in Baku for "New Generation-Responsibility without Borders" forum.
The forum was opened by Azeri deputy minister of youth and sports, Intigam Babayev, who said the event was aimed at developing cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Russian youth, fostering inter-cultural dialogue and increasing youth`s responsibility for sustainable development in Caucasus.
"Youth both Azerbaijan and Russia will discuss today ways of developing the bilateral relations, and jointly work out new projects aimed at strengthening the cooperation between youth organizations in both countries and ensure peace and stability in our region."
Dmitry Vityutnev, senior official at Russia`s Ministry of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy, praised the Baku forum. "Baku is a first country in the Commonwealth of Independent States to host such a high-profile youth forum." He said the forum was a brilliant opportunity for both countries to discuss and exchange methods of solving youth problems.
Polad Bulbuloghlu, Azerbaijan`s ambassador in Moscow, said the forum was very important in terms of holding joint discussions between the two countries` youth and bringing them closer to each other.
"The forum is a start to a series of important event to be held jointly by Azerbaijan and Russia, in particular an international humanitarian forum to take place in Baku on October 10-11."
Elnur Aslanov, head of the political analysis and information provision department at the Azerbaijani President`s Administration, said "the fact that a number of international events have been held in Baku recently shows how tolerant and hospitable our country is."
"Azerbaijan`s independence will be marked on a state level in several days. This is a historical period and lapse of time which needs to be analyzed to see what we have gone through and where we are heading."
"Great work has been done in Azerbaijan over the last 20 years. We managed to increase the state budget from $500 million up to $20 billion and accumulate over $30 billion in the Oil Fund," he noted.
Aslanov said: "The state program on education of youth abroad began to be implemented upon the President`s initiative. Today over 10,000 Azerbaijani youth are studying abroad."
"Azerbaijan has become one of major suppliers of Europe in energy sector. Today we provide energy security of Europe. In this context, Azerbaijan has an important role not only in Caucasus, but whole Eurasia. Azerbaijan is a heart of not only Caucasus, but also Eurasia. In this connection, we are becoming a center of debates. We said at an international conference of young researchers that our country has become an intellectual center of the region. But today we can say that Azerbaijan has become a center of debate for youth in the region."
Aslanov also highlighted the consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Armenia occupied 20 percent of our lands, expelling 1 million Azerbaijanis from their homelands. We want peace, but this requires the liberation of our occupied lands. Caucasus needs peace, and youth have great responsibility in this context."
Other speakers at the event included Vladimir Dorokhin, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Fuad Muradov, chairman of the Council of Azerbaijani Youth Organizations and Ilyas Shuvalov, chairman of the Union of Youth Organizations of North Caucasus.

AzerTAc