Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issues statement on 30th anniversary of OIC membership

The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan has issued a statement on the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Report informs.

"December 8, 2021, marks the 30th anniversary of the membership of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The development of relations with the OIC and the expansion of valuable cooperation with the organization are among the foreign policy priorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and our country has taken continuous steps in this direction over the past 30 years.

On December 8, 1991, Azerbaijan was elected a full-fledged member of the Organization at the Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and became the first country among the former Soviet republics to join the Organization. Over the years, Azerbaijan has been an active member of the OIC, as well as of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and initiated the establishment of new organizations to strengthen Islamic solidarity - the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), OIC Labor Center and Journalists Association of OIC Member States. In 2006, Azerbaijan hosted the 33rd Conference of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, and in 2010 the 35th meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank. 2017 was declared the "Year of Islamic Solidarity" by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and in the same year, the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games were held in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan highly appreciates the support provided by the OIC to Azerbaijan's position based on international law in connection with the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. As a result of the 44-day Patriotic War, which put an end to the nearly 30-year occupation by Armenia of a part of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity, fulfilled the requirements of both the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as numerous resolutions adopted by the OIC.

The OIC supported Azerbaijan's just position with its public statements during the 44-day war. The visit of the Contact Group of the OIC to the liberated territories of Azerbaijan after the conflict was extremely important in terms of getting acquainted with the situation in the region, the illegal activities purposefully carried out by Armenia in these areas for many years, in particular with acts of vandalism committed against the Islamic heritage. The valuable support provided to Azerbaijan by the OIC on the basis of the principles of international law is a contribution to ensuring lasting peace and security in the region.

In line with its foreign policy priorities based on its national interests, Azerbaijan will spare no effort to develop high-level and multifaceted cooperation with the OIC and, as a result of joint activities, will contribute both to strengthening solidarity between member countries and ensuring international peace," reads the statement.