Leyla Aliyeva expressed joy of having some of the most interesting and intelligent people gather in Azerbaijan. She went on to express hope that the Baku forum will contribute to joint efforts of promoting understanding and cooperation across the world.

She further said that Azerbaijan is the land of ancient traditions, rich history, a place that sits on the crossroads of East and West.

"In days gone by, Azerbaijan was a major center on the historic Silk Road," Aliyeva said, adding that this has had an incredible impact on our culture, making Azerbaijan a country that believes in tolerance, new ideas and dialogue.

She went on to say that Azerbaijan`s unique geographic position also had an impact on its landscape. Aliyeva reminded that Azerbaijan is place full of mountains, forests, meadows and lowlands.

"In fact, Azerbaijan has 9 of 11 climatic zones, giving us a very rich and natural environment and biodiversity," she added.

"We are very lucky in Azerbaijan to have such an incredible history, diverse culture, and rich biodiversity, and I am sure you will enjoy your stay in our country," she said.

Aliyeva went on to speak as the Goodwill ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"I know these statistics are a bit terrifying," she said. "Today one person dies every four seconds, because of hunger or hunger-related causes."

Aliyeva said that what is more sad is that children are the ones that die most often. She went on to say that FAO with the Zero Hunger Generation initiative has a role to play in this regard.

"However, we must all work together and try hard to insure a world where no child dies of hunger and malnutrition," Aliyeva said.

She went on to say that food is an integral part of human culture identity, and can serve as a powerful instrument in establishing cross-cultural understanding and tolerance.

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