BAKU, SEP 18 (AZERTAC/APP/DNA):The 12th Xiangshan Forum, under the theme “Upholding International Order and Promoting Peaceful Development,” kicked off in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Azerbaijani is represented at the event by a delegation led by Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov.

The Beijing Xiangshan Forum, jointly organized by the China Association for Military Sciences and the Chinese Institute for International Strategic Studies, is meant to provide a platform for defense officials and representatives from different countries and regions to compare notes on global security issues. The two initiatives provide apt lenses with which to focus their discussions.

The participation of defense officials and representatives from more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations speaks volumes about the high attention the international community pays to security issues as regional tensions and military conflicts are posing an increasing threat to global peace.

The forum will feature four plenary sessions and eight parallel panel discussions on topics such as building a fair and reasonable global security governance system, the trajectory of major-power relations, and the current state and future of arms control. Increased understanding will help dispel misgivings and help avoid the escalation of tensions and damage to the ties between countries.