Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

An important part of the political development trend in the present-day world is associated with the wide spread of regional integration processes, first deputy chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Ziyafet Asgarov, has said.

Asgarov was speaking at the opening of the 30th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States, which began in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on June 19.

According to Asgarov, the cooperation opportunities created by regional organizations pave the way for the expansion of bilateral and multilateral political, economic, cultural and other relations between countries.

He went on to say that business cooperation within the OIC helps to intensify relations in the political, economic and humanitarian fields between the members of the organization.

"Today it is impossible to solve the political, economic, environmental and many other problems in the world without joint effort between the countries. On the other hand, a number of development tendencies in global policy have brought the need for close cooperation of Islamic countries to the forefront.

"Islam is one of the greatest spiritual values connecting our nations," Asgarov said.

He said further, "The affection towards religion forms the spiritual qualities that create a solid foundation for the purification of the inner world of a person and the development of society. Islam plays a significant role in shaping the criteria of morality in the society and the principles of friendship and humanity. Azerbaijan perceives Islam as a religion of friendship, brotherhood and solidarity. Cooperation established on a solid foundation, as the common value of our people, will turn the region into a zone of prosperity and progress."

Asgarov regretted that major obstacles to regional and international peace and security cause a number of unresolved issues, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"We believe that all conflicts must be resolved soon on the basis of the generally accepted norms and principles of international law and in particular the principle of the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity of countries," he said. "I believe that turning the region into a zone of peace and stability would meet the interests of all those living there."

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 as a result of Armenia's unfair territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Unleashing a lengthy war with its South Caucasus neighbor, Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.

The agenda of the two-day meeting of the Executive Committee of the OIC Parliamentary Union includes 11 issues. Furthermore, it includes a report of the Secretary General of the Union.

Discussions cover the political and economic ties between Islamic countries, and cooperation in the fields of business, environment, human rights and issues related to family and women. Participants are expected to sign a joint statement at the end of the meeting.