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ISESCO presidency transferred to Azerbaijan - UPDATE

26 November 2015 15:05 (UTC+04:00)
ISESCO presidency transferred to Azerbaijan - UPDATE

By Nigar Orujova

Islam is a religion of peace, said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev addressing the 12th session of the General Conference of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Baku on November 26.

Azerbaijan is strengthening Islamic solidarity, actively working to promote Islamic values in the world, the head of state stressed. “We are proud that one of the oldest mosques in the world, Shamakhi mosque is located in Azerbaijan,” he noted.

Azerbaijan’s First Lady, ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva also attended the opening of the session.

Noting Azerbaijan's struggle against Islamophobia, the president said the country attaches great importance to the promotion of Islamic culture abroad, as well as strengthening connections between interfaith and interethnic relations.

It was also noted that Azerbaijan, the host of the first European Games in 2015, will welcome the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017.

The president stressed that this is not just a sporting event, but also an indication of cooperation between civilizations.

Addressing the conference, the head of state drew attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as result of which 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory is under Armenian occupation.

The OSCE missions dispatched to the occupied lands revealed that mass destruction of the area, including 10 mosques.

“It is savageness, it is terror against the Islamic culture,” said the president noting that some Western circles linking Islam to terrorism are wrong.

At the end the president stressed efficient activities of ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri in strengthening the organization and his role in promoting the bilateral relations

“ISESCO has always supported the fair position of Azerbaijan at the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the head of state noted.

President Aliyev awarded Altwaijri with the “Dostlug” (Friendship) Order.

Addressing the event, Altwaijri thanked the head of state for awarding him with the high state order of Azerbaijan.

Then a Nigerian delegate was presented with the ISESCO Literacy Prize for 2015.

Azerbaijan was elected to preside in the General Conference of ISESCO for three years. The presidency was transferred from Saudi Arabia to Azerbaijan during the conference.

Azerbaijan has made significant achievements in strengthening the Islamic solidarity, the chairman of the Executive Council of ISESCO Boubacar Doukoure said at the plenary session as part of the event.

He noted that ISESCO will continue to strengthen solidarity in the Islamic world.

During the session, Kuwait was chosen as the capital of Islamic culture in 2016.

Azerbaijan’s Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev as well as authorized representatives from many countries were awarded for their contribution to ISESCO.

The General Conference of ISESCO is held every three years. The meeting determines the overall action strategy, coordinates and evaluates issues in the scope of the organization, approves the Action Plan and the organization’s budget for the next three years.

Prior to the ISESCO General Conference, Baku also hosted the 36th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on November 23-24.

Azerbaijan is a member of the organization since gaining independence in 1991 and plays an important role in achieving great success of the ISESCO.

First Lady, ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva met Director General of ISESCO Altwaijri and the organization’s goodwill ambassadors on November 26.

The first lady praised Azerbaijan-ISESCO cooperation. Mehriban Aliyeva said representatives of all religions and cultures are living in Azerbaijan in friendship and peace.

“Azerbaijan is hosting important events aimed at strengthening dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations. Tolerance has already become a firm tradition in Azerbaijan,” she said.

The first lady highlighted the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, saying it is carrying out numerous events across the globe with the aim of promoting Azerbaijan`s history, culture and traditions.

Mehriban Aliyeva said it was essential that ISESCO goodwill ambassadors increase efforts to strengthen dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations.

Altwaijri hailed the excellent organization of the 12th session of the General Conference of ISESCO in Baku.

He praised the Azerbaijan-ISESCO cooperation as fruitful, applauding the role of President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva in “elevating the relations between the country and the organization to this excellent level”.

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