The opening ceremony of the 74th International Astronautical Congress has been held at the Baku Convention Center.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their son Heydar Aliyev attended the event.

First, the Congress participants posed together for photographs.

The opening ceremony saw a musical show as well as videos about Azerbaijan and the 24th International Astronautical Congress held in Baku in 1973.

Then, a video presenting the International Astronautical Federation was screened.

The opening ceremony was addressed by President of the International Astronautical Federation Clay Mowry.

A video message of the China Space Station astronauts was demonstrated.

President of the International Astronautical Federation Clay Mowry presented to President Ilham Aliyev a keepsake including a photograph depicting Great Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev together with astronauts at the 24th International Astronautical Congress held in Baku in 1973, which was demonstrated in the space and then brought back, and other attributes.

Then, a video message of the International Space Station astronauts was shown.

The head of state addressed the opening ceremony of the Congress.

The opening ceremony continued with a concert.

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President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan put together their signatures on the Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle at the Teknofest Azerbaijan Aerospace and Technology Festival held for the first time in Baku on May 28, 2022.

Selçuk Bayraktar presented to the head of state a small model of that unmanned aerial vehicle on the sidelines of the 74th International Astronautical Congress.