Youth policy and cooperation prospects were discussed in Baku today as part of the CIS Youth Days in Azerbaijan on Nov. 4-7. Azerbaijani, Russian, Kazakh, Moldavian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Kyrgyz and Tajik delegations took part in the discussions. The CIS Youth Days were organized by the Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Ministry.

Ministry representative Farhad Hajiyev spoke about the state body’s current youth policy initiatives and future projects. Youths account for 32 percent of the Azerbaijani population, he said. Hajiyev also noted the ministry’s successful activity. Its major function is to create terms for mental and moral youth development, he said.

One of the most important programs implemented by the ministry is prophylactic measures against crimes and drug addiction, Hajiyev added. He stressed that according to official figures, there are about 21,000 drug addicts in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan also conducts the youth program for combating neo-nazism and xenophobia.

Deputy Minister Intigam Babayev said the ministry’s budget for youth programs increases every year. The budget was $270,000-280,000 in 2004-2005. The sum has exceeded $1 million since 2005 and hit 4.5 million euro last year.

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