The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by Ms. Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady and First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of experiences in areas of common interest, most notably education, culture, science, technology, environment and the social and health areas.

The memorandum of understanding was signed this Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Shusha, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, and M. Anar Alakbarov, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in light of the launch of the celebration of Shusha, Culture Capital in the Islamic World 2024.

In his address at the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik praised the distinguished partnership between ICESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and welcomed the signing of the memorandum with the prestigious Foundation, which has achieved remarkable successes in its areas of expertise through the development and implementation of programs and projects related to education, culture, health, sports and environmental issues.

He stressed that ICESCO, as part of its strategic vision, is committed to contributing to the progress of education, science and culture in its Member States, through the implementation of a number of initiatives and projects with its international partners serving the countries of the Islamic world and Muslim communities around the world.

For his part, Mr. Ali Akbarov expressed his happiness with the cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and ICESCO, and the support for the mission and objectives of the Organization, noting that the Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

He added that cooperation with ICESCO is part of the efforts aimed at contributing to the support and development of science and culture in the countries of the Islamic world, stressing the importance of this partnership to benefit from ICESCO’s expertise and knowledge in its areas of competence, as well as coordinating efforts to design programs and hold joint international seminars and conferences.

The MoU stipulates that the two parties shall cooperate in the implementation of initiatives and projects, and exchange the best practices in the fields of education, culture, science and technology, and the methods of implementation of joint projects and working mechanisms between the two parties.