President Ilham Aliyev Meets Newly Appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan
Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Dmytro Shlapachenko, the newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, on September 2.
During the meeting, Shlapachenko presented his credentials to President Aliyev, followed by discussions on Azerbaijan-UN relations and areas of cooperation.
President Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s growing engagement with the United Nations, noting that the country had hosted major UN-related events, including COP29 and the World Urban Forum in Baku. He also said that the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue would be held this year jointly with the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
Shlapachenko described Azerbaijan as an important UN partner and noted that, as a “middle power” state, the country had successfully hosted major international events organized under the UN framework. He cited COP29 and the World Urban Forum as notable examples.
Referring to the 4th International Mine Action Conference currently underway in Baku, themed “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements,” Shlapachenko said the UN was prepared to support Azerbaijan in addressing the mine problem. He also noted that UN Climate Week would be held in Azerbaijan.
The UN Resident Coordinator expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s support for the activities of UN agencies and reaffirmed the organization’s readiness to contribute expertise to the country’s ongoing development programs.
Particular attention was given to the large-scale reconstruction and restoration efforts in the post-conflict territories of Garabagh and East Zangezur. Shlapachenko emphasized the importance of international expertise in supporting these efforts and reiterated the UN’s willingness to assist Azerbaijan in mine action.
President Aliyev, in turn, highlighted the extensive restoration and construction projects underway in the liberated territories and stressed the serious challenges posed by landmines. He said that despite the obstacles caused by mines, Azerbaijan was continuing its systematic demining operations.
Shlapachenko said he would soon visit Garabagh and announced that a major event would be organized at Garabagh University to commemorate United Nations Day.
The meeting also addressed environmental concerns, including efforts to improve the ecological condition of transboundary rivers in the South Caucasus, monitoring activities, and the declining water level of the Caspian Sea.
