01:50     18 December 2023    

During her visit to Morocco, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova held a meeting with Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik. Highlighting the strong relations between Azerbaijan and ICESCO, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova emphasized that, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the country places particular significance on cooperation with the organization. She described ICESCO as a crucial organization actively working to strengthen mutual understanding in the Islamic world and contribute to global peace and security. The speaker hailed the statements made by ICESCO supporting the right cause of Azerbaijan during the Patriotic War, underscoring that ICESCO was the first international organization to send a technical staff to the region after the war. The Azerbaijani speaker specially commended the multifaceted efforts of Goodwill Ambassador of ICESCO, First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva in promoting inter-civilizational dialogue, education and other domains. Emphasizing Azerbaijan`s commitment to fostering solidarity and mutual respect among the Muslim countries, the Speaker highlighted the effective cooperation within the Baku Process intercultural dialogue. She also stressed the importance of the Action Plan signed between Azerbaijan and ICESCO last year, expressing the country`s intention to continue collaboration with the organization across various domains, including youth, education, protection and restoration of cultural heritage. The pair also explored the prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement. The ICESCO Director-General expressed the organization`s interest in developing relations with Azerbaijan across various areas. Recalling his meetings with Azerbaijan's leadership during his visits to the country, Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik said that the signed Action Plan would contribute to deepening cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan. He commended the Heydar Aliyev Foundation`s impactful work in the Islamic world, particularly in the areas of education, science and culture. The ICESCO Director-General Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik expressed his gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for their support to ICESCO. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on winning the right to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), as well as on declaration of the city of Shusha as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024. The two exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.