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), on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, in Baku. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, co-organized by ICESCO under the theme “Dialogue for a Shared Future: Building Bridges in a Fractured World.”

During the meeting, President Aliyev praised the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and ICESCO. He affirmed that his country is making sustained efforts to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with the countries of the Islamic world. The President added that it will continue supporting the activities of both the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and ICESCO to fulfil the aspirations of the countries and peoples of the Islamic world. In this context, he noted that Azerbaijan will host the 16th Islamic Summit Conference in 2027.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik congratulated President Aliyev on the Forum’s resounding success, noting that the Azerbaijani President’s opening address had garnered widespread attention. He underscored, in particular, the importance of countries drawing on Azerbaijan’s experience in ending wars and building peace amid ongoing conflicts around the world.

The ICESCO Director-General expressed his gratitude to President Aliyev for his continued support for the Organization’s activities and for Azerbaijan’s sustained efforts to advance joint initiatives. He also voiced deep appreciation for Azerbaijan’s support for projects aimed at developing education in the countries of the Islamic world.

In this regard, Dr. AlMalik commended the cooperation with Ms. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, underscoring the importance of the humanitarian and educational projects implemented in ICESCO Member States with her support. Dr. AlMalik outlined several prominent initiatives, including a project providing educational and social support to displaced girls living in boarding schools in Burkina Faso and Niger.

The meeting was attended on behalf of ICESCO by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.