08 March 2025 02:00

On 7 March 2025, within the framework of his working visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ceyhun Bayramov, participated in and delivered a speech at the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Minister Ceyhun Bayramov conveyed his best wishes to the entire Islamic world on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

It was noted that the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Palestine, the mass casualties among innocent people, the destruction of infrastructure, as well as shortages of food and water in the region remain a source of serious concern. The use of force resulting in civilian deaths was described as unacceptable, and the importance of taking urgent and decisive steps to end this situation was emphasized.

In this regard, it was underlined that the principles of international law, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inadmissibility of the use of force, must be upheld.

It was brought to attention that Azerbaijan positively evaluates the ceasefire achieved in January, and emphasized the importance of refraining from violations of the ceasefire and actions that could lead to escalation in the current fragile situation.

The importance of ensuring that the achieved ceasefire serves as a starting point for a sustainable peace process based on international law, including the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, was highlighted.

In this context, it was once again reiterated that Azerbaijan supports the resolution of the conflict on the basis of the “two-state solution,” in accordance with the norms and principles of international law and relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

In addition to ongoing peace initiatives, the importance of humanitarian assistance efforts was noted. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan, as a responsible member of the OIC and as its future Chair in 2026, is always ready to support the brotherly Palestinian people. In this regard, it was stated that since the escalation in 2023, Azerbaijan has provided humanitarian assistance amounting to 2 million US dollars to alleviate the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people.

It was also highlighted that Azerbaijan has undertaken initiatives to support the Palestinian people in the fields of education and healthcare. In this context, 15 students from Palestine were awarded the “Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant” for the 2024–2025 academic years, and Azerbaijan has also committed to constructing a school for 600 students in Nablus.

During his speech, Minister Ceyhun Bayramov emphasized that Azerbaijan supports the plan for the reconstruction of Gaza and provision of assistance proposed by Egypt and approved at the Extraordinary Arab Summit on 4 March.

The Minister also conveyed his congratulations on the restoration of Syria’s membership in the OIC at today’s session.

Support was expressed for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as for the restoration of lasting peace and stability in the country.