Azerbaijan says concerned over situation in Syria and Palestine
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan, as a member of the UN Security Council, treats the situation in Syria with a great sense of responsibility, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the 39th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Djibouti, according to a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's website on Friday.
Mammadyarov said nowadays, Islamic Ummah is facing numerous challenges and obstacles.
"Recent developments in the Middle East have become one of the central and urgent issues of the global politics. Regretfully, ongoing conflicts and wars deepen the sore and pain of the peoples, and as a result, thousands of civilians die and many others are forced to flee their homes."
"In this regard, Azerbaijan deeply concerned over the situation in Syria. As an UN Security Council Member, Azerbaijan has engaged with utmost responsibility in dealing with the situation in Syria. Along with international community, Azerbaijan expresses its readiness to continue its engagement constructively in overcoming the current crisis through a Syrian-led political process and reiterates its strong commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," Mammadyarov said.
The Azerbaijan FM said that Syria owns a great number of the important Islamic cultural sites with a rich historical heritage.
"Therefore, we also have to continue our efforts for the cease of the destruction of such places and achieve the preservation of the cultural heritage for the future generations."
Mammadyarov also said that Azerbaijan anxious over the situation in Palestine.
He said Azerbaijan reiterates its support to brotherly people of Palestine to achieve peace, stability, and to establish its sovereign and independent state, with Al-Quds as its capital.
"We highly value the work of the OIC Secretary General to consolidate our Organization in providing much needed assistance to the population in Palestine. As a member of the UNSC I would like to express our concern with regard to the latest splash of hostilities and deterioration of the situation in Gaza. I also would like to inform that the consultations have been started in New York at the UN Headquarters," Mammadyarov said.
The Azerbaijani FM also expressed the government's concerns over the prevailing situation in Mali and Sahel Region and the recent unfortunate and notorious events that took place in the Rakhine State of the Union of Myanmar and the situation of the Rohingya Muslims living in the abovementioned region.
The three-day ministerial of the OIC will end on Saturday.