After the annual meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors held in Paris, Mehriban Aliyeva answered questions of journalists

After the annual meeting of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors held on March 3-4 in Paris was over, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Foundation of the Friends to Azerbaijani Culture Mehriban Aliyeva answered questions of journalists.

Question: Mrs. Aliyeva, this was Your first participation in the annual meeting of the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors. How can You regard Your joint work with the colleagues?

Answer: I consider, the meeting passed at high level. Along with common meetings in the frame of the Annual Meeting, I had also private meetings. I met with Mr. Director General, who accepted my invitation on visiting Baku. I have invited all Goodwill Ambassadors to Baku. Such meetings will be useful from the point of view of close familiarization by the Ambassadors with the realities of Azerbaijan.

I also informed on our programs, held numerous negotiations. I think it was useful.

Question: Election of the Azerbaijani citizen for the first time as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador is an important event. This is high trust in Azerbaijan by UNESCO, an authoritative global organization. What are Your plans for development and strengthening cooperation with the structure in the years coming?

Answer: In my statement, I noted the close relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO. We have several good projects to be jointly implemented. For example, presentation of the project on mugham was in Baku. We have also some projects to be coordinated with UNESCO. The relations develop in good side. Such links are necessary and important for Azerbaijan.

Question: Is it possible to discuss with UNESCO the question of destruction of the cultural monuments in the occupied Azerbaijan territories?

Answer: You know, UNESCO is non-political organization. However, this painful issue needs to be focused. I have informed on the matter in the meetings with both Director General and my colleagues, who had no presentation on presence of one million refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan. Inviting the Goodwill Ambassadors to Baku I plan to take them to the refugee camps and familiarize them with plight of our country fellows.

As you know, today's meeting was devoted to the problem "Education for All". Informing my colleagues on education conditions of our children, they were surprised. They promised me to visit Azerbaijan and in particular, the refugee camps to be eyewitnesses of their plight.

In all the meetings I spoke of the destroyed monuments of Azerbaijan. Of course, we have a lot to do and I have some ideas related to the problem.