Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry releases statement on conference of Non-Aligned Movement

On July 13-14, 2021, a Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was held under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan in a virtual format on the topic "The Non-Aligned Movement is at the center of multilateral efforts to combat global challenges," Report informs, citing the information, released by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

"The main purpose of the conference was to discuss the progress achieved in the fight against global challenges through the joint efforts of the Movement's members over the period since the Baku Summit, and further steps to be taken in this direction. The conference, where 33 countries were represented at the level of foreign ministers, was attended by high-ranking representatives of the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as the observer countries," the ministry said in a statement.

"At the beginning of the conference, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement Mr. Ilham Aliyev made a video address to the participants of the event. In his video message, the President informed about the successful initiatives implemented under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan in the Non-Aligned Movement and said that efforts would be continued to strengthen the international prestige and influence of the Movement under the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Informing the NAM member states about the 44-day Patriotic War and its consequences, which ended with the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from Armenian occupation, the President stressed that Azerbaijan's victory was a victory of international law, justice and the Non-Aligned Movement's fundamental values. Informing about the atrocities committed by Armenia in the territories of Azerbaijan during the occupation for about 30 years, the President thanked the NAM member states for their constant support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the borders of our country during the occupation and the Patriotic War.

"After the speech of the President, the report of the chairmanship of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the activities carried out for 21 months of Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement was heard. Then the Political Declaration of the Ministerial Conference was discussed and adopted. The Declaration contains a number of items of special importance for our country, along with the expression of the position of the NAM Member States on topical issues on the agenda of the Non-Aligned Movement. Thus, the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, through this Political Declaration, express their appreciation for the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, to convene a special session of the UN General Assembly to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and express gratitude to the Republic of Azerbaijan for the successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement in such a difficult period on a global scale, as well as for the readiness to preside over the Movement for another 1 year - until the end of 2023. In addition, the Declaration contains a number of successful initiatives implemented at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, including Summit-level Meeting of the NAM Contact Group in response to COVID-19 held on May 4, 2020, a Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in response to COVID-19 pandemic, held on 3-4 December 2020, and the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines against the pandemic, adopted on March 22, 2021, is also welcomed. The Declaration also welcomes the International Model NAM Simulation Exercise, organized for the first time in the history of the Non-Aligned Movement at the initiative of the Azerbaijan’s chairmanship. The declaration also, in accordance with the proposal of the Azerbaijani side, emphasizes the importance of post-conflict recovery, reconstruction and reintegration activities in the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, emphasizes the importance of effective demining activities and international support for this process, especially in the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement which are most exposed to contamination by landmines and other unexploded ordnance. By the adopted political declaration, as well as in accordance with the appeal of the Russian Federation, this country is assigned observer status in the Non-Aligned Movement, and the proposal of the Government of Uganda to hold the next summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Uganda at the end of 2023 is welcomed.

"We would also like to note that Azerbaijan, whose 3-year chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement is due to expire in 2022, responded positively to the appeal of the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement to extend the chairmanship for another 1 year after Uganda, which will become the next chair of the Movement, announced that it can take over the chairmanship 1 year later," the information said.