The V Baku International Humanitarian Forum has grown into an important venue to exchange ideas on the wide range of issues and promote intercultural dialogue, tolerance and understanding among nations, reads the letter of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed to the participants of the forum.

This year’s forum is also special for Azerbaijan as the country marks 25th anniversary of independence, and Azerbaijan has made remarkable achievements since then, according to the letter.

Ban Ki-moon said in the letter that since 1991, Azerbaijan has gone through significant socio-economic development.

The development is helping Azerbaijan to play a very important role in Eurasia, Europe and the Middle East with a growing focus on humanitarian issues, according to the letter.

The V Baku International Humanitarian Forum has kicked off on Sept. 29 in the Heydar Aliyev center in Baku.