Azerbaijan intends to expand its support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by complementing sustainable development and climate projects with cultural heritage initiatives in cooperation with UNESCO, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said.
According to Report, he made the remarks at the conference "Strengthening Global Solidarity through Humanitarian Assistance and Development Cooperation," dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA).
Bayramov said Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to the development of SIDS and has allocated significant resources to strengthening their climate resilience through its partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
He noted that the support includes projects on ocean protection, climate technologies and the implementation of national solutions.
"We expect to extend this cooperation to the protection of cultural heritage as well," the minister said.
Bayramov added that relevant work would also be carried out under a recently announced joint initiative with UNESCO aimed at strengthening the capacity of SIDS to preserve and promote their heritage.
The minister also stressed Azerbaijan's efforts to align its assistance with international standards and improve transparency.
He said Azerbaijan has submitted annual reports on official development assistance to the OECD Development Assistance Committee since 2015 and has held participant status in the committee since 2019.