Baku hosts XXVI International Conference of Heads of Firefighting and Rescue Services of member countries of International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers

XXVI International Conference of Heads of Firefighting and Rescue Services of the member countries of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers commenced at the Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard.

First, within the framework of the conference, a bilateral meeting was held between the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, and the President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers, Internal Service Colonel General Alexander Chupriyan.

During the meeting, an exchange of views was held on cooperation between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers, as well as on the conference being held in Baku, and issues of mutual interest were discussed.

Then the opening ceremony of the conference was held.

The event was attended by the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamaladdin Heydarov, the President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers Alexander Chupriyan, Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan Botir Kudratkhodjayev, more than 100 representatives from Federation's member countries - Germany, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Latvia, Mongolia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Vietnam, as well as from the Federation's partner companies, and representatives of Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan in a videoconference format.

The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the anthem of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers were performed.

Then, at the opening of the conference, the Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, Kamaladdin Heydarov, delivered a welcoming speech.

Warmly welcoming the guests, Minister K. Heydarov spoke about the importance of holding the international conference in our country, evaluating this prestigious event as an important platform for strengthening international cooperation in the field of firefighting and rescue, and learning new experiences and advanced approaches.

The Minister briefly reviewed the history of prevention of emergencies and elimination of their consequences in Azerbaijan and provided detailed information on the work carried out in this field in our country. He emphasized that the National Leader of our people, Heydar Aliyev, always attached great importance to the safety of the population and territories, and noted that the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, established by the relevant Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has been formed as a professional state body capable of successfully combating any emergency situation, thanks to the attention and care of the head of state.

Minister K. Heydarov spoke about the work carried out to expand the international relations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and spoke about the rescue operations conducted in various regions of the world and the humanitarian aid delivered to disaster zones based on the instructions of the head of state.

The Minister of Emergency Situations expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the high-level organization and hospitality during the 20th World Championship for men and the 11th World Championship for women in firefighting and rescue sports, held this year in Riyadh, and wished success to the work of the conference.

Speaking at the event, President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers Alexander Chupriyan, expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for its support in organizing the conference. A. Chupriyan touched upon the importance of the profession of firefighters and rescuers in the modern world, where natural and man-made emergencies are increasing, and emphasized the necessity of constantly improving their professional training. In this regard, he expressed his confidence that holding such events will make a significant contribution to the effective exchange of experiences among the professionals above mentioned and the expansion of international cooperation.

At the conference, Alexander Chupriyan presented Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov with the medal "For Contribution to International Cooperation" of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers.

Then the conference continued its work.

The agenda of the conference, organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan and lasting until December 6, includes the development of firefighting and rescue sports, an analysis of the last world championship held in this sport, as well as discussions on the organization of the 2026 world championships in firefighting and rescue sports and issues of international cooperation