The 74th International Astronautical Congress, organized by the IAF and hosted in Baku by Azercosmos, the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was a resounding success, IAF said. After 50 years, the IAC returned to the city of Baku, where it first hosted the 24th International Astronautical Congress in 1973. During the opening ceremony, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, warmly welcomed the IAC delegates.