THE MEETINGS WERE HELD AS PART OF THE VISIT OF RAVAN HASANOV, THE CENTER'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TO THE UNITED STATES
The visit to the United States of Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, continues. The Azerbaijani delegation is headed by Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, the chairman of the Caucasian Muslims’ Board, on the visit organized by the joint invitation of the US Stirling Foundation and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The delegation includes Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, Sahib Nagiyev, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Milikh Yevdayev, Chairman of the Mountain Jewish Community in Azerbaijan, Robert Mobili, Chairman of the Alban-Udi Christian Religious Community, and Bishop Vladimir Fekete, Head of the Catholic Community in Azerbaijan.
Important meetings were held on the promotion of tolerance, religious tolerance, norms of coexistence between different faiths and their bearers, and joint activities within the framework of the visit. The Azerbaijani delegation visited the Senate, the supreme legislative body of the state of Utah on the first day of the visit. They met with Edward Rove, President and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Stirling Foundation. An official welcoming ceremony for the delegation from Azerbaijan was held in the Utah State Senate, and the senators greeted the guests with applause. The text of the declaration adopted by the Utah State Senate on tolerance, multiculturalism policy, and protection of religious diversity in Azerbaijan was read at the ceremony.
The delegation also met with Russell Nelson, the Supreme Leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Russell Nelson expressed his graduate to Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, and other members of the delegation for accepting the invitation and visiting to the United States.
The meeting with vise-governor of the US state of Utah, Deirdre Henderson, was also important in terms of establishing useful cooperation. Deirdre Henderson, who sincerely welcomed the guests, particularly mentioned the exemplary interfaith composition of the Azerbaijani delegation and expressed her great satisfaction with it. She drew attention to the benefits of interfaith cooperation between the two countries for both sides. At the same time, she emphasized the interest of the US side in developing relations in the economic, political, as well as educational and cultural spheres. The vice-governor wrote about this on her Twitter page: "Indeded, it was a great honor for me to welcome such a large interfaith delegation from Azerbaijan Republic to the Capitol (in the state of Utah - ed.) today. We much appreciate our Azerbaijani friends and their commitment to religious freedom."
The Azerbaijani delegation met with two more members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Ronald Rashband and David Bednar. Rashband, as well as Bednar, mentioned that they have broad information of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis. They emphasized that they support and will continue to support Azerbaijan's rightful position.
Members of the delegation visited Welfare (Charity) Square, a charitable organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The delegation's meeting with students and faculty from the prestigious Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, was also interesting.
It should be noted that visit will last until March 4. The purpose of the visit is to promote tolerance, religious tolerance, norms of coexistence between different faiths and their bearers, which Azerbaijan has formed and developed over the centuries, and to seek new opportunities to expand mutually useful cooperation in the direction of joint activities.