Your Excellency President Aliyev,
My dear friend Tatiana,
Excellencies, colleagues and friends,
I am deeply honoured to accept the 2021 Nizami Ganjavi International Award.
My thanks to the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and the jury members for this prestigious acknowledgment.
I would like to accept this award on behalf of the health workers and care givers in countries around the world, who have been on the frontlines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their efforts should be honoured and celebrated – today and every day.
Your Excellencies,
The award is a testimony to the legacy of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi. His work was guided by values such as tolerance and diversity and deeply rooted in love for humanity and nature.
It is in this spirit of love for humanity and a profound belief in equality and human rights that I call on you to support the mission of WHO.
It is only together that we can ensure to leave the world not only intact, but also healthier and safer for future generations.
Right now, the future of the planet – of our home – is being negotiated in Glasgow at the COP26.
Nizami Ganjavi said: “What we are and what we possess is but a loan – and that nor for long!”
Humanity’s health is tied to our planet’s health. A sick planet cannot host healthy people.
Only through collective effort and solidarity, we will be able to overcome this pandemic and be better prepared for the health emergencies of the future.
Equally, we must not only act boldly in the face of the climate crisis, we must work together towards our common goal.
Working together, we can build a healthier planet and healthier lives for all.
Thank you again for this great honour.