Baku: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, on May 21, APA reports. The head of state extended his gratitude to the UN leadership for their support in organizing the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum. He highlighted the collaborative efforts between the Azerbaijani Government and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) that led to the successful execution of the event.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Ilham Aliyev described WUF13 as the second-largest global event hosted by Azerbaijan in terms of participation, following COP29. He emphasized the successful organization of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum, paralleling that of COP29. The president affirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to maintaining effective cooperation with UN-Habitat and expressed the country's intention to remain actively engaged in future sessions of the World Urban Forum.

During the meeting, Amina Mohammed conveyed greetings from UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres to President Aliyev. In response, President Aliyev thanked her for the message and requested her to pass on his regards to Ant³nio Guterres. Amina Mohammed praised the successful execution of WUF13 and extended her congratulations to President Aliyev, expressing her admiration for the significant participation of high-level delegates from around the globe.

Furthermore, Amina Mohammed commended the harmonious integration of historical heritage and modern urban planning in Baku, attributing a distinctive appeal to the capital city. The meeting highlighted that Azerbaijan's reconstruction and development initiatives in liberated territories serve as a model for other post-conflict regions, underscoring the importance of sharing Azerbaijan's experiences within the UN framework with other nations.

The discussion acknowledged Azerbaijan's 'ASAN Khidmet' model, which has been recognized with the UN Public Service Award and a special UN award for digital public service delivery. The successful implementation of the 'ASAN Khidmet' model in various countries across Africa and Asia was also noted. Both parties emphasized Azerbaijan's active membership and significant contributions to the UN's programmes and initiatives, as well as its successful hosting of numerous high-level UN events on various topics.