ALIYEV ATTENDS ISLAMIC CONFERENCE YOUTH FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev left for one-day visit to Turkey to
attend the opening of permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation, APA’s Turkey bureau reports.

At the Ataturk International Airport, Azerbaijani head of state was
met by Istanbul governor Muammar Guler, Istanbul local authority head
Gadir Topbash and several other officials.

President Aliyev had talks with Turkish Premier Rajab Tayyib Erdogan
in his resident in Chiragan palace.

Following the meeting, the head of state attended the solemn
inauguration of the permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation at the Istanbul World Trade
Center. The opening ceremony also brought together OIC Secretary
General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC members, some European government
representatives as well as UN, Council of Europe, ISESKO and other
international organizations.

The Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation
and the Istanbul World Trade Center concluded an agreement on the
permanent headquarters.

The ceremony continued in the Dolmabakhcha palace then. The Youth
Forum president Ali Sarikaya, secretary general ElshadIsgenderov,
Istanbul local authority head Gadir Topbash, OIC Secretary General
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkish Parliament president Bulent Arinch,
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Turkish Prime Minister
Rajab Tayyib Erdogan addressed the ceremony. Mr.Erdogan thanked to
President Aliyev for his support for the establishment of the Forum.

Mr.Aliyev also addressed the ceremony.

Reminding his participation in the official inauguration of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline in Istanbul and then
in Ceyhan a month ago, Azerbaijani President said he is pleased with
attending the inauguration of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for
Dialogue and Cooperation.

"Youths constitute great part of the populations of the most of the
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation members.

Youth are the most active layer of the society and are great force.

The interactions among our young people will give strong impetus
to our cooperation and also give a great gift to strengthening of
Islamic solidarity," the President underlined.

He underlined that like most countries, Islamic countries suffer
terrorist attacks.

"Azerbaijan suffered over 30 terrorist acts committed by Armenian
terrorist organizations early in the 90s of the last century which
claimed lives of at least 2,000 innocent people. Azerbaijan has been
suffering Armenian aggression for many years. Our historical monuments,
mosques, schools, historical sites remaining in the Armenian-occupied
territories have been destroyed.20 percetn of our territories are
under occupied, and we have over one million refuges and internally
displaced persons as a result of this aggression and ethnic cleansing
policy. We have always been the suffering side," Mr.Aliyev underlined.

He also stressed Azerbaijan is one of the active OIC members adding the
latest session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Baku,
"Baku will host the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers soon. We
are making efforts to ensure close interaction among our countries."

The persons contributing to the Youth Forum have been awarded.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also awarded. The President
returned to Baku this morning.