Azerbaijan has for centuries been a place where religions and civilizations have met.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening ceremony of the VII UNAOC Global Forum in Baku.

The President welcomed the participants of the forum, noting that it's a great honor for Azerbaijan to host such a forum: "We believe this is a sign for appreciation of our actions and achievements", the head of state said.
He stressed that the forum is attended by representatives from more than 140 countries.

"Azerbaijan has for centuries been a place where religions and civilizations have met. Here the cultures of religion lived in peace", said the President.

He emphasized the tradition of tolerance prevailing in the country.

"Tolerance and multiculturalism were presented there. Then wasn't yet the concept of multiculturalism, but there was the idea. This is one of our great achievements. We are proud of our history and our achievements", President Ilham Aliyev said.

He stated that, historically, one of the oldest churches, Albanian, also located in the territory of Azerbaijan: "And today, we are carrying out the reconstruction and repair of churches, synagogues, it's our policy and style of our life."