On the sidelines of the International Conference on Heritage Management in the Islamic World, organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) at its headquarters in Rabat, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, met Mr. Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Mr. Alakbarov attended the conference’s opening session on behalf of Ms. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and took part in the award ceremony of the ICESCO-Azerbaijan Natavan Heritage Excellence Award.

During the meeting, held on Monday, 4 May 2026, the two officials discussed ways to enhance areas of cooperation. Dr. AlMalik affirmed that the cooperation agreement with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation represents a successful model that has yielded tangible results, reflected in high-quality outputs with a sustainable impact. He also highlighted a number of flagship initiatives, including the project to provide educational and social support to displaced girls and those residing in boarding schools in the Republic of Burkina Faso, which has begun expanding to include the Republic of Niger and Mali.

For his part, Mr. Alakbarov expressed the Foundation’s willingness to continue strengthening and developing this cooperation, commending the level of partnership with ICESCO. He also emphasized that ICESCO is one of the leading international organizations partnering with the Foundation, noting that this partnership has proven its effectiveness through its fruitful initiatives. He further expressed his aspiration to launch new, highly impactful initiatives serving the Islamic world and its peoples.

Moreover, the two parties agreed to organize the second edition of the conference, along with the award ceremony, in Shusha, in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, in 2028.