Rovshan Muradov was Secretary General of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, based in Baku, Azerbaijan. On 3 June 2026, President Macky Sall expressed his deep sadness at his passing. His bond with the Nizami Ganjavi Center had grown over the years around a shared conviction: dialogue between peoples remains the best defence against a fracturing world.
In his message, President Macky Sall paid tribute to "a humble and affable man, a tireless craftsman of the dialogue of cultures and civilizations". He extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, to his loved ones and to his colleagues at the Center. Rovshan Muradov, he recalled, worked discreetly to bring together leaders from every continent.
The Nizami Ganjavi International Center bears the name of the great twelfth-century poet. It brings former Heads of State and intellectuals together with international figures. Its Baku Global Forum has become a fixture of intercultural dialogue, and Rovshan Muradov was its driving force: his dedication gave the forum growing influence and credibility.
President Macky Sall knew the institution well. In March 2026, he addressed the XIII Baku Global Forum to call for a rethinking of multilateralism and international cooperation. He argued there for institutions that are more representative and more effective, able to answer crises that keep accumulating. That message echoes his vision for the United Nations, submitted to the UN as part of his candidacy for Secretary-General.
The tribute also says something about President Macky Sall himself: loyal in friendship, he honours those who serve the common good, whatever their public profile. That constancy runs through his entire record, from Senegal to the chairmanship of the African Union.
President Macky Sall regards the dialogue of cultures and civilizations as the foundation of diplomacy and has made it a pillar of his international engagement. In honouring the memory of Rovshan Muradov, he recalls that this patient work rests on women and men of conviction, like the man he paid tribute to.