Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

The opening ceremony of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum was held in the Turkish city of Antalya on April 17.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Hakan Fidan delivered the opening speech at the ceremony.

President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then addressed the event. In his speech, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized that the ongoing normalization process between Türkiye and Armenia is being carried out in coordination with Azerbaijan. Speaking about the Organization of Turkic States, the Turkish President noted that the organization’s activities are further developing, adding:

“Later this year, during the 13th Summit of the Turkic World, which we will host in our country, we will take over the chairmanship from Azerbaijan for the new period. Inshallah, during this time we will further increase the international activity and influence of our organization. In coordination with Azerbaijan, we are moving step by step in the normalization process with our neighbor Armenia. In the same spirit, we continue to strongly support the East-West Middle Corridor initiative, which is the most reliable route in trade between Asia and Europe and passes through the Caspian Sea.”

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In the context of geopolitical tensions, shifting balances of power, rising trade barriers, and mounting pressure on multilateralism, the current global landscape is marked by increasing unpredictability. The theme of the 5th Forum, “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” emphasizes the importance of anticipating and addressing emerging issues to shape a better future. It underscores the need to stay ahead of developments by identifying risks and opportunities, developing strategies, and turning insights into action.

This year’s forum brings together more than 500 high-level participants, including 22 heads of state and government, 14 deputy heads of state and government, and over 50 ministers (39 of whom are foreign ministers) from more than 150 countries, as well as 75 representatives of international organizations.

As part of the forum, more than 40 events and sessions are planned, including panel discussions with leaders.