A comprehensive collegium meeting dedicated to the Action Plan for 2024 was held at the State Committee on Work with Diaspora.

At the beginning of the meeting, the National Anthem was played, then the dear memory of our martyrs, who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, was commemorated with a minute's silence.

Chairman Fuad Muradov, declared the collegium meeting open and spoke about the events held within the framework of “2023-Year of Heydar Aliyev” by the Committee and the Azerbaijani diaspora.

It was mentioned that last year more than 200 events were held in 69 countries across the world, the number of the Azerbaijani Houses reached 28, and important steps were taken in the field of coordination the activity of the diaspora, strengthening their ties with the motherland.

It was brought into the notice that the attention and care shown by President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva towards the Azerbaijani diaspora, as well as restoration of the territorial integrity inspired our compatriots. It has been one more time underlined that President Ilham Aliyev’s recommendations constitute the basic principles of the diaspora activity.

The meeting focused on the importance of increasing the number of the Azerbaijani Houses and weekend schools in 2024, holding international events in our country and abroad.

Expanding lobbying activities and the access to the international media, arranging the visits of the diaspora members, foreign journalists, historians to Karabakh in 2024 was especially underlined. It was noted that the year 2024 was declared “Green World Solidarity Year” and the prestigious events like COP29 should be advocated among diaspora  members.

The meeting also discussed Shusha’s designation as the cultural capital of the Islamic world for 2024, 140th anniversary of Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh and the 100th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Later, the reports of the relevant departments of the Committee Apparatus and the Fund for Support to Azerbaijani Diaspora were heard. It was noted that last year, with the support and organization of the Committee and Fund for Support to Azerbaijani Diaspora, large-scale projects, conferences and forums were held both in the country and abroad, dozens of books and magazines were published, documentaries were shot, and CDs were released.

It was noted that diaspora organizations addressed hundreds of appeals and statements to the world community in order to attract attention to the truths of Azerbaijan on the level of international law and prevent disinformation.

The collegium meeting ended with the discussion of the action plan for 2024 and the presentation of medals to the committee employees who were awarded by the order of the head of state last year.