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UN chief arrives in Istanbul for civilizations forum

30 May 2012 23:51 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived here Wednesday to attend the Partners Forum for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) that will open the following day, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, UN Secretary-General Ban said that he was pleased to see Turkey hosting the forum.

The first Partners Forum for the UNAOC will bring together governments, intergovernmental organizations, business foundations as well as individuals who have shown a strong commitment in realizing the vision of a world free from intercultural conflicts.

The opening of the forum will be attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while 65 world leaders will join the forum including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

During the two-day meeting, discussions will focus on issues including the long-term resource needs, the immediate requirements, and the current UNAOC priorities for action.

The Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative proposed by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the 59th UN General Assembly in 2005, seeks to galvanize international actions against extremism through the forging of international, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation.

The Alliance places a particular emphasis on defusing tensions between the West and the Islamic world.