KUALA LUMPUR: Azerbaijan has always been a valued member of the Muslim world, and it has consistently defended the interests of Muslim countries in all international organisations, including the United Nations, said President Ilham Aliyev.
He pointed out that in this context, whenever an election is held for a leadership position in any international organisation where a representative from a Muslim country is a candidate, Baku automatically votes for that candidate.
Aliyev explained that the South Caucasus nation has taken consistent steps to strengthen Muslim solidarity, including fostering respect for the Islamic faith in Azerbaijan, promoting interfaith relations, and hosting numerous significant events, such as the Fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017.
He stated that the umbrella body of the Muslim world, the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which unites all Muslim countries, has consistently held a positive view of Azerbaijan.
In highlighting Azerbaijan’s international commitment to various issues and concerns of the Muslim world, the president said Azerbaijan has been at the forefront of addressing the challenges faced by the Palestinian people.
He added that following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria and the formation of a new government, Azerbaijan became the second country, after Turkiye, to offer humanitarian assistance, and a delegation from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also visited the country recently.
“We have provided assistance to many Muslim countries, but we do not boast about it, nor do we often discuss it publicly.
“However, even the media coverage available is enough to show how active we are in this area – both during the COVID crisis and in other situations,” Aliyev said in an interview with local TV channels recently on a wide-ranging issues, including Azerbaijan’s growing role in the international arena.
The excerpt from the interview is shared with Bernama by the embassy of Azerbaijan in Kuala Lumpur.
In the interview, the Azerbaijani president said that his country’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian issue remains unchanged – it has always been in favour of the creation and existence of two states.
He said Azerbaijan has been supporting the Palestinian state for many years – politically, morally and materially – and this continues, adding that the creation of an independent Palestinian state will put an end to the protracted conflict.
“The Palestinian embassy has been operating in Azerbaijan for many years. We have also opened a representative office in Palestine, and of course, the sooner this conflict ends and a ceasefire is declared in Gaza, the better it will be for everyone.
“We wish for this, and we also take the activities of the Arab League as a basis here. We have actively participated in all the events of the OIC and will continue to do so. In other words, our position is completely clear,” the president explained.
Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan views the interests of all Muslim countries as its own, “which is likely why Azerbaijan was the first choice after the decision to expand Developing Eight Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8) was made”.
“Of course, our country’s economic potential, political influence, and military strength were also considered. Additionally, our policy of Islamic solidarity played a role in this decision.
“At the same time, this organisation is expanding its geographical reach. The D-8 has already extended to both the Caucasus and the Caspian region, and the broader our geography becomes, the greater our opportunities,” he said.
Azerbaijan was accepted as D-8’s newest member at the organisation’s 11th summit in Cairo in December 2024.
Noting that Azerbaijan is the first country accepted as a member following the organisation’s decision to enlarge its membership since its establishment in 1997, Aliyev said out of approximately 60 Muslim countries globally, Azerbaijan has been chosen as the newest member.
“This is both a great honour and a significant responsibility for us. All necessary instructions have already been issued to ensure that Azerbaijan plays an active role in this organisation and contributes meaningfully to its activities,” he said of the D-8, of which Malaysia is among its members along with Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye.
He pointed out the strength of the D-8 – it accounts for 60 per cent of the Muslim countries’ economy and 60 per cent of the global Muslim population living in D-8 member states.
“It represents a tremendous opportunity. We cannot afford to miss it, or waste time. We join this organisation with this very agenda in mind, and I am confident that our ideas and proposals will be given careful consideration,” he said. – Bernama
