IDEA Contributes to Maintaining Astrakhan’s Ecological Balance

A grand opening ceremony for the Friendship Bridge between Azerbaijan and Russia took place in Astrakhan on Wednesday.

The ceremony was attended by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and initiator of the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) campaign.

The event also saw the participation of officials from the Azerbaijani state and the administration of the Astrakhan region, members of the Milli Majlis, the Azerbaijani community of Astrakhan, and local residents.

According to Leyla Aliyeva, one of the main focuses of the Foundation’s activities is environmental protection. This is why the Heydar Aliyev Foundation created a new international movement under the name IDEA last year.

Leyla Aliyeva gave a speech at the bridge’s opening ceremony. She expressed her gratitude to the organizers for the warm welcome on Astrakhan soil.

"I am very pleased to be here for the first time today and to have the opportunity to learn about the projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the Russian Federation. I would like to thank the leadership of Astrakhan for your sincere words and your contribution to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia," said Leyla Aliyeva.

Speaking about Azerbaijan’s rapid economic development in recent years, Leyla Aliyeva provided detailed information to the event participants about the diverse activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

According to her, one of the main directions of the Foundation’s activities is environmental protection. Therefore, last year, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation created a new international movement called IDEA.

"The main goal of IDEA is to protect our planet and inform youth about environmental issues. In almost a year of its existence, IDEA has implemented many interesting and successful projects, such as tree planting, setting up bird nests, organizing conferences, photo exhibitions, and seminars. Personally, the protection of endangered species is very important to me. Therefore, IDEA has identified the 'big five' of endangered animals in Azerbaijan. These are the eagle, bear, wolf, Caucasian leopard, and gazelle. As far as I know, the little egret in Astrakhan is also nearing extinction. To address this, IDEA plans to organize a competition in Astrakhan schools on the topic of protecting this bird starting from October this year. The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to visit Azerbaijan and learn about our country," added Leyla Aliyeva.