No:086/18, Statement by MFA of Azerbaijan Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov in the Non Alignment Movement (NAM) Ministerial Committee on Palestine
05 April 2018, Baku
Excellencies,
In the capacity as member of the NAM Troika, it is our great honor to host the Non Alignment Movement (NAM) Ministerial Committee on Palestine in Baku. We warmly greet and welcome You to this session and wish You successful deliberations.
Firstly, I would like to reaffirm our full solidarity with the Palestinian people and our persistent support for the just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine. Azerbaijan stands for the two state solution of the Palestinian conflict with East Yerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.
Unfortunately, violence and conflicts still impede development and prosperity in the world. The events happened recently in the Gaza Strip causes our deep concern. As a country who also suffered from the unresolved conflict with neighbouring Armenia with notorious experience of ethnic cleansing and illegal settlements on the occupied territories of my country, Azerbaijan is absolutely clearly understands Palestinian cause.
Palestine and Azerbaijan historically cooperated and supported each other in all international forums and organizations. The spirit of this solidarity has been proved in different instances. Azerbaijan has hosted two successful conferences, namely, “The donor’s conference to finance the strategic plan for the development of the City of Al-Quds Al-Sharif” and “The establishment of Islamic financial safety net in support of the state of Palestine” in 2013 and made significant donations for the development and maintenance of the holy city’s infrastructure. In 2017, Azerbaijan hosted the International Conference on the Question of Al-Quds under auspices of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Alienable Rights of the Palestinian People with the support of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
I would like to inform You that, the Government of Azerbaijan is planning to host the Annual Ambassadorial Meeting of the State of Palestine accredited in Asia countries by the end of 2018 in Baku.
Thanks!