President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

On September 25, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN headquarters, Report informs.

The President of Azerbaijan first signed the UN book of distinguished guests.

Following this, President Ilham Aliyev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres posed together for photographs.

The Secretary-General congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the progress in advancing the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan and on the historic results achieved.

Recalling his visit to Azerbaijan as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Guterres noted that he had witnessed the dire situation of refugees and internally displaced persons on the ground. He expressed his satisfaction that these issues are now in the past and highlighted the large-scale projects undertaken by the Azerbaijani government to facilitate the return of IDPs to their native lands.

The UN Secretary-General also congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the successful hosting of COP29 in Azerbaijan and the achievements in advancing the global climate agenda, expressing gratitude for the excellent organization of the event.

Guterres hailed the development of cooperation between the UN and Azerbaijan, thanking the country for supporting the organization"s activities in other regions and noting significant prospects for collaboration in addressing international crises.

The Secretary-General highlighted Azerbaijan"s active role in multilateral diplomacy, particularly its successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, and emphasized that Azerbaijan"s support as a donor country for various UN institutions is highly valued.

He also acknowledged Azerbaijan"s role in fostering regional cooperation projects and establishing regional transport links with Central Asia.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the congratulations.

The President underscored the historic significance of the results achieved in normalizing relations and advancing the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Noting that the relations between the two countries and the regional situation have fundamentally changed, the head of state stated that there had been no peace in the region since Azerbaijan and Armenia gained independence. "However, peace now prevails." Stressing that both countries are adapting to living in peace, President Ilham Aliyev described this as a significant and historic achievement for both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The head of state also highlighted the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan"s liberated territories. In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev noted that over 53,000 former IDPs have returned to their native lands and that Azerbaijan is implementing extensive restoration and reconstruction projects under the "Great Return" Program.

President Ilham Aliyev further mentioned that, as a donor country, Azerbaijan provided assistance to more than 80 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and affirmed that it will continue to contribute to regional and international peace agendas.

Referring to the upcoming UN World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan in 2026, the head of state emphasized that the event will provide an excellent opportunity to share Azerbaijan"s rich experience in urban planning, particularly in post-conflict settings, with the international community.

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On September 25, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN headquarters, Report informs.

The President of Azerbaijan first signed the UN book of distinguished guests.

Following this, President Ilham Aliyev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres posed together for photographs.