The UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Group of Friends held a high-level meeting on Saturday in New York with the participation of representatives from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY).
According to a written statement by TURKSOY, the meeting was chaired by Miguel Angel Moratinos, the high representative for the UNAOC.
Officials addressing the meeting included Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Levent Gumrukcu, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Yalcin Rafiyev, Kazakhstan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev, and Turkmenistan's UN Ambassador Vepa Hajiyev.
Gumrukcu, representing Türkiye as a co-sponsor of the UNAOC, said cultural diversity should be viewed not as a threat but as a source of strength, pointing to the importance of dialogue among civilizations amid growing intolerance and polarization.
Raev stressed that cultural diplomacy is not merely a complementary element of international relations but also one of the powerful tools of preventive diplomacy.
Noting that the world faces serious challenges including wars, forced migration, hate speech, and social polarization, Raev highlighted the importance of protecting cultural heritage and building mutual trust among societies for lasting peace.
'Protecting human life, cultural heritage is shared responsibility of all humanity'
Raev said that every war destroys not only human lives but also the memory of cities, sacred sites, historical artifacts, and the accumulated heritage of civilizations built over generations.
"The humanitarian tragedy taking place in Palestine once again reminds us that protecting human life and cultural heritage is the shared responsibility of all humanity," he said.
Raev said the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic world is integrated with the universal values of humanity, adding that TURKSOY has worked for more than 30 years to preserve, sustain and promote the common cultural heritage of Turkic peoples worldwide.
He said TURKSOY is ready to share its experience in cultural diplomacy with UNAOC.
Raev said TURKSOY and the UNAOC could develop new projects in areas including youth exchanges, cultural dialogue programs, literature and arts gatherings, protecting shared cultural heritage, and preventive diplomacy through culture.
Rafiyev said the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, to be held in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Oct. 27-29, would make an important contribution to the UNAOC's work.
Also speaking, Ashikbayev emphasized the importance of strengthening interfaith harmony and promoting a culture of peaceful coexistence.
Hajiyev highlighted the role of dialogue, mutual respect, and adherence to international law in preventing conflicts, saying Turkmenistan is ready to further develop cooperation with the UNAOC.
