30 August 2024 15:50

On 29–30 August 2024, the 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held in Yaoundé, the capital of the Republic of Cameroon.

The Republic of Azerbaijan was represented at the session by a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elnur Mammadov.

During his address within the framework of the session, Deputy Minister Elnur Mammadov expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for its successful chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers and wished success to the new chair country, the Republic of Cameroon.

He provided detailed information on the normalization process in the post-conflict period following the end of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as well as Armenia’s provocative actions hindering this process and the mine threat.

He noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan is actively working to establish peace and interstate relations that will ensure lasting stability in the region and pave the way for full-fledged regional normalization and cooperation. The end of the armed conflict in 2020 created a unique opportunity for both countries to eliminate the consequences of decades-long hostility and to build good-neighborly relations.

The Deputy Minister emphasized Azerbaijan’s full commitment to the normalization process initiated and proposed by Azerbaijan to Armenia.

During his speech, he also highlighted that Azerbaijan will host the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) this year, noting that the event being held for three consecutive years in OIC member states is a remarkable fact. Stressing that hosting COP29 is an important milestone for Azerbaijan, he stated that Azerbaijan will make every effort to mobilize the international community to advance the global climate agenda, drawing on its recent chairmanship experience of the Non-Aligned Movement in uniting countries with different levels of development and political affiliations.

In his speech, the Deputy Minister also noted that Azerbaijan has put forward new ideas and initiatives to enhance the potential of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, including the proposal to establish an OIC Labour Center.

At the conclusion of the Council of Foreign Ministers, four resolutions initiated by Azerbaijan were adopted. The resolutions titled “Elimination of the consequences of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan,” “Support for economic and social development activities in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” and “Destruction and desecration of Islamic historical and cultural monuments and traces in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a result of the aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan” strongly condemn Armenia’s nearly 30-year-long policy of occupation and aggression and express support for the Government and people of Azerbaijan in addressing the severe consequences of the occupation, as well as in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.

The resolution titled “Solidarity with the victims of the 1992 Khojaly massacre” condemns the mass killing of Azerbaijani civilians in Khojaly on 26 February 1992, calls on the international community to recognize this tragedy as genocide, a crime against humanity, and a war crime, and expresses support for the “Justice for Khojaly” public campaign.