French expert: "Azerbaijan can speak on behalf of Muslims and the West"

Paris. 9 January. REPORT.AZ/ "Azerbaijan, as a Muslim country, has the opportunity to speak on behalf of Muslims and also on behalf of the West, due to its secularism," a member of the French Academy of Sciences, an Islamic geopolitical expert Karim Ifrak said in an interview with Report's Western European Bureau.

Karim Ifrak said that, today, international relations undergo mutation period in the Muslim world. Surprisingly it is supported by the Russian Federation: “At present, use of religion as a diplomatic instrument is a completely new phenomenon that is likely to have an impact on future international geopolitics, including international relations.

He noted that diplomacy of religion can succeed in areas where classic diplomacy is struggling to fulfill any mission: “Azerbaijan, as a Muslim and secular state at the same time, has already gained enough experience in this field. Azerbaijan, as a Muslim country, has the opportunity to speak on behalf of Muslims and in the name of the West, due to its secularism."