In her letter, she appreciated that Azerbaijan hosted this prestigious event at a high level and expressed gratitude for the preparation activities, organization of the session, side events and meetings.

The director-general also noted that she enjoyed visiting the Gobustan Reserve during her visit to Baku.

“I am personally very delighted to discover the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in the foretype of Gobustan and to witness the efforts made by the government of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture in the preservation and promotion of this site”, she said.

“Moreover, Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev is invited to participate in the Forum of Ministers of Culture ahead of the 40th Session of the General Conference to be held by UNESCO on November 19, 2019,” reads the letter.

“I left Baku amid the dynamically developing relations between UNESCO and Azerbaijan, and I was very pleased with this,” Azoulay added. “I am once again convinced that I can always count on your support.”

Mechtild Rossler, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center, has also addressed a letter of appreciation to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee.

The letter commends Azerbaijan for hosting this important event at a high level. It is noted that many issues on the agenda of the Baku session have been resolved in a timely and successful manner. On behalf of her colleagues at the World Heritage Center, Rossler expressed special gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for the high-level organization of the meetings, including the team involved in supporting the UNESCO Secretariat.

“We appreciate the magnificent atmosphere of the meetings, the professionalism, the generosity of the staff, the high level of service and the warm attitude of the people who coordinated the meetings,” reads the letter.

The director of the World Heritage Center in her letter invited the minister of culture of Azerbaijan to the 22nd General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to be held on November 27-28 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

It is noted that a report on the activities of the Committee is expected to be heard by the chairman of the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee.

At the end of the letter, Rossler thanked the government of Azerbaijan for its sustained cooperation and support for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Baku from June 30 to July 10, 2019.

Azerbaijan is a member of the World Heritage Committee since 2015 and chairs the Committee during the year of 2019.

The 43rd Session was chaired by Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev. The session was attended by over 2,500 delegates from over 180 countries, including ministers, senior officials, as well as heads and officials of international organizations.