Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) support in ensuring lasting peace and security in the region, the ministry reported on December 8.

The ministry made the statement on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s OIC membership.

“The valuable support provided to Azerbaijan by the OIC on the basis of the principles of international law is a contribution to ensuring lasting peace and security in the region,” the ministry stated.

It was noted that Baku highly appreciates the OIC support to Azerbaijan's position based on international law regarding the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The ministry added that as a result of the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity, as well as fulfilled the requirements of the UN Security Council and OIC resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from its territories.

The ministry stressed the importance of the OIC’s public statements in terms of supporting Azerbaijan’s just position during the 44-day war with Armenia.

It was underlined that the visit of the OIC Contact Group to Azerbaijan’s liberated territories was of great significance in terms of highlighting the illegal activities deliberately carried out by Armenia in these lands for many years, especially vandalism committed against the Islamic heritage.

“The development of relations with the OIC and the expansion of valuable cooperation with the organization are among the foreign policy priorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and our country has taken continuous steps in this direction over the past 30 years,” the ministry stressed.

It was stressed that on December 8, 1991, Azerbaijan became a full-fledged member of the organization as the first country among the former Soviet republics.

“Over the years, Azerbaijan has been an active member of the OIC, as well as of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and initiated the establishment of new organizations to strengthen Islamic solidarity - the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), OIC Labor Center and Journalists Association of OIC Member States,” the report emphasized.

It was added that in 2006, Azerbaijan hosted the 33rd OIC Conference of the Council of Foreign Ministers and in 2010 the 35th meeting of the Islamic Development Bank’s Board of Governors. The Azerbaijani president declared 2017 the “Year of Islamic Solidarity” and in the same year, the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games were held in Azerbaijan.

The report stressed that Azerbaijan will develop high-level and multifaceted cooperation with the OIC and will contribute both to strengthening solidarity between member countries and ensuring international peace.

It should be noted that on December 8, 2021, Azerbaijan marks the 30th anniversary of its membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).