Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Political community must have political will and sincerity to implement the resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad bin Amin Madani told local media in Baku on March 6.

"A number of resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are adopted under UN Security Council. There are statements of some European officials, and they must be fulfilled. I think the international community must have the political will and sincerity to implement the resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

He went on to note that OIC supports Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and recognizes the fact of occupation and aggression by Armenia.

"We work with all 57 OIC member countries and make a clear position on this issue," Madani said.

He also appreciated Azerbaijan's activity within the organization, recalling that Azerbaijan, chairing the UN Security Council last year, held a special meeting to deepen the cooperation between the UN and OIC.

Madani also emphasized active role of Azerbaijan in the development of East Jerusalem (al-Quds). He also appreciated organizing a conference on the issue in Baku and allocation of $5 million for the development of East Jerusalem by Azerbaijan.

Earlier, President Aliyev received OIC Secretary General. The sides discussed ways of developing cooperation between the country and the organization, and stressed the importance of cooperation among the member states in a variety of fields, including economy, science, education and culture. The president and secretary general also emphasized that it was very important that Muslim countries had a common position on the global processes.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also received Madani. During the meeting, Mammadyarov, emphasizing the importance attached by Azerbaijan to its cooperation with the OIC, said that Azerbaijan is interested in further promoting its cooperation with OIC in the political, economic and humanitarian domains.

Minister Mammadyarov also expressed his appreciation to the OIC for its stance supporting the just cause of Azerbaijan in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.