"The unanimous selection of Azerbaijan as the host country for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November of this year is a sign of the support, great respect and trust shown to Azerbaijan by the international community," said Polad Bulbuloglu, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia, said in his speech at the ceremonial reception held in Moscow on the occasion of May 28 Independence Day, Paralel.Az's Moscow correspondent reports.

The ambassador noted that Azerbaijan won this as a result of a confident, independent and fair policy, decisive steps, principled position and commitment to international law:

The ambassador spoke about another significant event recently organized in Shusha - VII Kharibulbul Festival which was held as a celebration of cultural diversity and tolerance. He said that the declaration of Shusha as the "cultural capital of the Islamic world" in 2024 gave special importance to the festival.

"It is especially remarkable that 32 years later, on May 10, on the birthday of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, 20 families - 88 people, returned to their native Shusha after many years of displacement. In total, by the end of 2024, more than 25,000 people in 27 settlements are expected to return to the liberated territories, and this number will increase in the following years. By the end of 2026, about 40,000 former IDPs will gradually return to the liberated territories," the diplomat emphasized.