Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik.

Having mentioned the existing high-level co-operative ties between Azerbaijan and the ICESCO, Sahiba Gafarova said that, led by President Ilham Aliyev, our country attached special importance to co-operating with the ISESCO, one of the key organisations making great efforts to strengthen mutual understanding in the Islamic world as well as to promote peace and security in the world. The Speaker remarked that Azerbaijan highly appreciated the fact that the ICESCO had made statements in support of the just cause of Azerbaijan during the Patriotic War which had ended with Azerbaijan liberating her lands from Armenian occupation, and that after the war the ISESCO was the first international organisation to send technical staff to the region.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis highlighted the multifaceted activity of First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva who was made the  ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador for her work promoting the dialogue of civilisations and education as well as in other fields.

Azerbaijan’s constant efforts to enhance solidarity and mutual respect amongst Muslim states were talked of then. They mentioned the successful co-operation in the format of the Baku Process and praised the Organisation’s role as the principal partner of the World Inter-Cultural Dialogue Fora held in our country at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The Chair of the Milli Majlis remarked as she touched on the significance of the Activities Plan signed between Azerbaijan and the ICESCO last year that our country was keen on continuing co-operation with the Organisation in such important areas as youth affairs, education and heritage preservation and restoration. It was said confidently that this co-operation would grow broader still with the start of the ICESCO Regional Office in Baku.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis expressed her deep satisfaction with the town of Shusha having been declared the Islamic World’s Cultural Capital of Culture in 2024. She said this provided an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of Shusha as one of the Islamic Civilisation centres.

The conversation also touched upon the prospects for parliaments’ co-operation with the ICESCO in sciences, education and culture. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis shared her thoughts about the prospects of co-operation with the Non-Aligned Movement’s Parliamentary Network and the ISESCO in this context.

ICESCO Secretary General Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik let it be known that the organisation he is helming is interested in furthering co-operation with Azerbaijan. He was pleased to recall his meetings with the leadership of our country during the visits to Azerbaijan in past years, adding that the Activities Plan inked last year was going to provide for deeper co-operation between the ISESCO and Azerbaijan. The Director General lauded the work done by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the education, academic and cultural fields in the Islamic World. He described the donations made by Azerbaijan as another manifestation of her support to the work of the ISESCO. The Director General expressed his gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for this support.

Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik congratulated Azerbaijan on winning the mandate to host the 29^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and on the declaration of the town of Shusha the Islamic World’s Cultural Capital of Culture for 2024.

Other matters of interest to both sides were also discussed at the meeting.

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The parliamentary delegation led by Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova went to the Prophet’s Museum and the ‘Islam and Morocco’ exhibition as part of the official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco.

Speaker Sahiba Gafarova signed the commemorative book.

Also during the visit, the delegation arrived at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V to visit the gravesides of Mohammed V and Hassan II.

The Press and Public Relations Department  

The Milli Majlis