President of Azerbaijan Receives ICESCO Director-General in Baku
17 November 2024
Baku : 17/11/2024
His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), who is currently visiting Baku at the head of the ICESCO delegation participating in COP29.
At the outset of the meeting, held today, Sunday 17 November, 2024, Dr. AlMalik congratulated President Aliyev on the great success achieved by Azerbaijan in hosting COP29. He emphasized that Baku’s impressive organization of this global event represents a valuable accumulation of knowledge and experience for Islamic countries that have previously hosted this annual international event. Dr. AlMalik also highlighted the importance of sharing such experiences with other ICESCO Member States.
He further noted that the participation of over 4,500 young Azerbaijani volunteers in organizing this remarkable event added a new dimension and clearly demonstrated the country’s commitment to youth empowerment. Dr. AlMalik praised Azerbaijan’s success in preparing future leaders by equipping them with essential skills for building their futures.
The ICESCO Director-General also expressed his heartfelt appreciation and deep gratitude to Azerbaijan for its continued support to the Organization, and for providing it with a dedicated pavilion at COP29. The pavilion’s program included the organization of nearly 50 diverse activities, featuring high-level contributions from officials and experts in the field of environmental protection and climate change.
Dr. AlMalik lauded the strong partnership between ICESCO and several Azerbaijani institutions, particularly the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by First Vice President and ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Her Excellency Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. He also highlighted the agreement signed last October between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and ICESCO to support a project in Burkina Faso, providing educational and social assistance to displaced girls and those living in boarding schools. The agreement was signed during a visit by Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, to ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat.
President Aliyev, in turn, praised ICESCO’s outstanding participation in COP29 and expressed his appreciation for the successful visit of Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva to the Organization’s headquarters and the warm reception she received. He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s ongoing support for ICESCO’s various programs and activities within the Islamic world.
During the meeting, President Aliyev agreed to grant scholarships for students from Islamic countries to study renewable energy at Karabakh University. Additionally, the parties discussed some proposed initiatives and programs for cooperation between ICESCO and Azerbaijan in the areas of environmental protection, water security, and food security, with implementation plans aimed at benefiting certain African countries.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented President Aliyev with a copy of the book «Shusha… The Jewel of Azerbaijan», which is set to be officially launched on Wednesday, November 20, as part of ICESCO’s pavilion activities at COP29.