Taraba Leaves for Azerbaijan to Attend World Urban Forum

Bratislava, 17 May (TASR) - Environment Minister and Vice-Premier Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) has departed for a working visit to Azerbaijan to attend the World Urban Forum there, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Sunday, adding that he'll represent Slovakia there on behalf of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD). "The World Urban Forum WUF13 is one of the largest events of the United Nations, taking place for the first time in the Caucasus region and organised in cooperation with the Azerbaijani government. It focuses on safe and resilient cities and communities," they stated. During his working visit, Taraba will also hold several bilateral meetings. He will meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Rashad Ismayilov, and chairman of the State Water Resources Agency Zaur Mikayilov. Taraba described water diplomacy as a strategic element that can open doors for Slovakia to new forms of international cooperation. "Slovakia is rich in water, and the world has little of it. There are countries that must manage every drop, and Slovakia can be an inspiration and a good partner for technical cooperation and the exchange of knowledge in water management," he added. am