Baku hosted the Leaders’ Statements on May 18 within the framework of the 13th Session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13).

Axar.az informs that the event featured speeches by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of Kenya William Samoei Ruto, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini, President of Mauritius Dharambeer Gokhool, President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya Mohamed Younis al-Menfi, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Guoqing, Vice President of Zimbabwe Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Igor Sergeyenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment of Slovakia Tomas Taraba, Chairman of the State Committee for the Construction of the City of Arkadag under the President of Turkmenistan Deryageldi Orazov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction of Cambodia Say Sam Al, Deputy Prime Minister of Albania Albana Kociu, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba, and Chief Minister of the Punjab Province of Pakistan Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The speakers expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for the excellent organization of WUF13 in Baku and the warm hospitality. They highly praised the transformation of Baku into an important dialogue center under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts carried out in a short period of time in the liberated territories. The speakers emphasized that WUF13 serves as an important platform for discussing urban planning challenges and presenting innovative ideas for sustainable urban development, highlighting the significance of this event.

The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum — one of the United Nations’ most prestigious global urbanization platforms — is being held in Baku from May 17 to 22 under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.” Organized by UN-Habitat, the event focuses on issues related to urban planning, sustainable development, and inclusive living environments.