Azerbaijan, ICESCO mull cooperation

4 November 2020 13:16 (UTC+04:00)

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By Laman Ismayilova

Prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and ICESCO have been discussed in Baku.

In his remarks, ICESCO Director General Salim M. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO will assist Azerbaijan in the restoration of monuments destroyed as a result of Armenian aggression. Training courses will be organized for specialists in this field.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Morocco Oktay Gurbanov briefed ICESCO Director General on the liberation of the occupied territories by the Azerbaijani Army and the recent events on the frontline. He thanked Salim M. AlMalik for his support of Azerbaijan's fair position.

The Ambassador added that in a statement issued in late September, the organization stressed the importance of complying with international law and restoring the sovereign rights of Azerbaijan, the real owner of historical and cultural monuments in the occupied territories.

Prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and ICESCO in the fields of education, science and culture were also discussed at the meeting.

Azerbaijan has been a member of ISESCO since 1991. Established in 1991, these relations have entered into a stage of successful development after the awarding of the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva as Goodwill Ambassador of ISESCO on November 24, 2006. The First Lady of Azerbaijan was honored for her services in the development of education and dialogue between civilizations.

Meanwhile, the following events took place in Baku - an International Conference on Youth for Alliance of Civilizations ( 2007), Forum on The Role of Women in Intercultural Dialogue with the support of UNESCO and ISESCO (2008), the 6th Conference of the Ministers of Science and Education of Islamic Countries (2008), the opening ceremony of the Cultural Year of Baku - the Capital of Islamic Culture - 2009, the 6th Conference of Ministers of Culture of Islamic Countries (2009), Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders ( 2010) and others should be specially noted.

Azerbaijan is closely cooperating with various organizations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation - ISESCO, Islamic Development Bank, Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, Islamic Conference of Youth Forum.

The Islamic World Heritage Committee, at its Extraordinary Meeting held at ISESCO headquarters last year, approved the inscription the following heritage sites of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the list of the Islamic World Heritage: Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower, Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace and Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape

During the 40th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) held on J anuary 29-30, 2020, in Abu Dhabi a decision to change the name of the organization to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) was adopted.