Azerbaijan has been elected a member of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) during the 68^th meeting of the organization’s European Commission held in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Azerbaijan presented its nomination, along with Turkiye, Israel, Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, for the one of five available seats for the European region of the Executive Council.  
During the tense election among eleven candidates, four European Union member states (Lithuania, Czech Republic, Italy, Bulgaria) secured seats, alongside Azerbaijan.

Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, Fuad Naghiyev, extended his gratitude to all who participated in the voting process and affirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to upholding principles of equality and fairness.

F. Naghiyev further emphasized that Azerbaijan, having been a full member of the UNWTO since 2001, has consistently cultivated successful partnerships and cooperative relations with member states. He highlighted Azerbaijan's dedication to enhancing the efficiency of the Executive Council's work in its future endeavors.

In his address, F. Nagiyev highlighted the shared responsibility for the future of global tourism, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts and necessary measures to ensure its sustainable development.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador  of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra, and the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the World Tourism Organization, Ramiz Hasanov and the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, Huseyn Huseynov also attended in the meeting.