Azernews.Az

The Azerbaijani government has come out against the stance of an Islamic group that has recognized Kosovo's independence.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) that includes Azerbaijan, has lately said it recognized the Serbian province as an independent state.
"We do not share the OIC's position," the Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim told Radio Liberty.
Ibrahim said the statement has no legal basis, as no consultations had been conducted on the issue among OIC member states beforehand.
"Such decisions are usually made after discussions and consultations at high-level meetings. For instance, the European Union holds a meeting, but no agreement is reached there. The EU members then individually state their positions. Therefore, the OIC's stance is not within the frames of international law," the spokesman said.
He emphasized that Islamic states were enjoying solidarity on most issues, therefore, Baku saw no need "to dramatize" the matter.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17. The United States and most European powers have granted recognition.
Armenia hopes for the application of the Kosovo model in Upper Garabagh - an Azeri region occupied by Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire ended separatist hostilities. Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly dismissed the claims.
Azerbaijan has been a member of the OIC since 1991.