Message from President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

I cordially welcome you to the second annual Global Young Leaders Dialogue Forum session and offer my best wishes.

Organized by the People’s Republic of China and the “Center for China and Globalization,” this Forum is vital for solidifying the connection between the youth, sharing progressive ideas and boosting mutually beneficial cooperation.

The youth, a driving force of growth and prosperity in every country, is also a locomotive of global progress. Close dialogue among the active and creative youth in the modern world that is abundant in challenges is critical for addressing the problems facing humanity. Because our planet’s future and the world’s sustainable development depend on the ability of the youth to cope with present challenges and identify innovative means.

In this regard, the global youth forum is particularly relevant in light of eliminating the COVID-19 pandemic’s consequences and new trends and challenges related to the transformation process in the post-pandemic era. It is commendable that thanks to today’s gathering, the youth have the opportunity to exchange views on the pressing topics of the agenda.

Attention and care for the youth, which accounts for more than 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s population, their upbringing in the spirit of national and moral values and patriotism are one of the priority directions of the state policy. Today, a generation has emerged in Azerbaijan that safeguards our customs and traditions while embracing universal progressive ideas and is capable of integrating into the globalized world. Our young people brought up in the spirit of respecting national values, have rendered immeasurable services in liberating our lands that had been under occupation for 30 years and restoring Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. We are proud of such youth.

The volunteer movement has been gaining momentum in our country in recent years. Volunteerism is a new manifestation of the code of conduct of our youth stemming from such customs and traditions of our people as benevolence, dedication, and voluntary and selfless help. It has entered every sphere of social life and has become a nationwide movement. The volunteer movement is a very successful format for organizing our youth, rallying around a common goal, and discovering their potential and realizing it. Through their creativity, enterprising, innovative mindset and modern worldview, they have brought fresh breath to these endeavors and played a crucial role during large-scale international events held in Azerbaijan. The state, in its turn, took appropriate steps to encourage this activity and introduced state support mechanisms to the volunteer movement.

Azerbaijan remains constantly focused on promoting youth policy in the international arena too. Our youth is closely involved in the activity of leading international organizations and initiate the creation of new youth platforms. The establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Network, upon Azerbaijan’s initiative, was among the steps we made to ensure dialogue between the youth of the Member States and achieve their lasting progress. I am pleased to state that a historic agreement was reached in our cultural capital Shusha this July to transform the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Network into Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization.

I am confident that the mutual ties to be forged throughout this Forum will contribute to the successful realization of your future-oriented endeavors.

I renew my greetings to all of you and wish this event success.

Ilham Aliyev