BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 17. A number of memorandas of understanding will be signed today within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Raf Tuts, Director of the Global Solutions Division at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), told Trend on the sidelines of the event, Trend reports.
He highly praised Azerbaijan's preparations for the forum, noting that this is the 13th World Urban Forum he has attended.
"I have participated in all urban forums held since 2001. WUF was created for dialogue and experience exchange in the fields of urbanization, housing, and urban development. With each forum, the number of participants, the scale of the events, and the diversity of discussions continue to grow," he said.
Tuts noted that the preparatory work undertaken by Azerbaijan and the city of Baku for the forum left a special impression.
"We have been following the preparation process over the past two years. Upon arriving in Baku, I was truly impressed by the infrastructure, the level of organization, and the support Azerbaijan has provided to the forum. The ministerial meeting is starting now, and my expectations for the forum are very high," the UN-Habitat official emphasized.
He added that WUF13 is also an important platform for establishing international partnerships and expanding opportunities for cooperation.
"More than 120 countries and numerous partners are participating in the forum. Throughout the week, memorandas of understanding are scheduled to be signed with various partners. Some of these documents will be signed with the participation of the Executive Director, and others with my participation. The forum always creates a good opportunity for establishing new collaborations," Tuts added.
