In his speech, Mr Naryshkin emphasised that Russia and Azerbaijan pay major attention to humanitarian cooperation.
“Azerbaijan is our trusted, long-standing partner; we have jointly implemented dozens of projects in education, science, and culture. It is symbolic that this forum, whose participants include representatives from CIS nations, is taking place in a year that has been declared the Year of Historical and Cultural Heritage in the CIS. Developing modern technologies is impossible without a clear understanding of how they will affect our system of values and the very existence of humankind, how much they will change people’s way of life and influence the fulfilment of social, spiritual and religious needs. All this obligates us to be extremely responsible in how we design humanitarian strategies, taking into account their economic and social components,” Sergei Naryshkin said.
A presentation of the book Humanitarian Challenges in the 21st Century was also held within the framework of the International Humanitarian Forum. The book is a joint humanitarian project between Russia and Azerbaijan written by two leaders, Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev.
In addition, while in Baku, Sergei Naryshkin laid a wreath on the grave of Heydar Aliyev and the Monument to the Fallen Heroes on the Alley of Martyrs.