Statement by Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement on Palestine

New York

19 September, 2017

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished Delegates,

It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting on behalf of my country to reaffirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people and our persistent support for the just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine.

We would like to thank the Government of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for its initiative on convening a Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement on Palestine.

Azerbaijan as any other member of international community is deeply concerned over wars and armed conflicts in various parts of the world, which lead to political instability in some regions, large-scale displacement and unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The lack of settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict poses threat not only to this region, but also to the international security.

Azerbaijan supports peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stands beside the Palestinian people. Azerbaijan stands for the two-state solution of the Palestinian conflict with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. In this regard, I would like to reaffirm Azerbaijan’s full support to the brotherly people of Palestine in their struggle for achieving peace, stability and sustainable development. As the future chairman of the NAM, Azerbaijan will seek to use this function to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the conflict based on international law, and the solid position of our Movement.

I am pleased to inform that we enjoy close political dialogue and hold regular consultations with Palestine at different levels. Azerbaijan’s unwavering support to the government and people of Palestine has been repeated at various levels and my country continues to support the government of Palestine. A high level delegation from Azerbaijan paid an official visit to Ramallah in May 2016 and bilateral agreements were signed aimed at further intensification of practical cooperation. It was reciprocated by a high-level delegation representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine visiting Baku in February 2017.

Emanating from shared values and culture, Palestine and Azerbaijan historically cooperated and supported each other in all international forums and organisations. 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. This year Azerbaijan hosted the International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem under auspices of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People with the support of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. The Conference provided up-to-date information on the current situation in East Jerusalem under occupation, examined the latest developments, and explored practical ways.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict underscores the urgency of acting collectively, immediately and determinedly to end this five decade conflict in accordance with international law, including humanitarian and human rights law. It requires international intervention and political will to address the root causes of the conflict in achieving a just, lasting solution to the question of Palestine in all its aspects based on international law and relevant UN resolutions.

Having this opportunity, we once again support the Palestinian government in their efforts to realize their inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations for peace, freedom and justice.

Thank you.