Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, in Baku. The two sides explored ways to strengthen cooperation in education, science, the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, and peacebuilding.

During the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which ICESCO is co-organizing, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to advancing cooperation with Azerbaijan and commended Baku’s contributions to promoting intercultural dialogue.

For his part, Minister Bayramov emphasized the particular importance Azerbaijan attaches to its cooperation with ICESCO. He also praised the joint efforts of Azerbaijan and the Organization to foster civilizational dialogue and uphold the values of diversity and coexistence.

The Azerbaijani Minister briefed the ICESCO Director-General on national efforts to preserve cultural heritage and restore cultural and religious monuments in the liberated territories. In this regard, the two sides highlighted the historic significance of the technical mission dispatched by ICESCO to these territories, as well as the celebration of Shusha, as Culture Capital in the Islamic World 2024, under the Organization’s Culture Capitals in the Islamic World Programme.

The two sides also discussed the role of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held in Baku and co-organized by ICESCO, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture, and several international organizations and institutions, in raising international awareness of current challenges and providing a platform for dialogue and cooperation.

The meeting also addressed ongoing preparations for the Islamic Summit Conference, which Azerbaijan will host in 2027, related activities, and the priorities Azerbaijan will address during its chairmanship of the Conference.

The meeting was attended on behalf of ICESCO by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Ms. Maryam Gafar-zada, Assistant to the Director of ICESCO Regional office in Baku, and Mr. Murad Aliyev, expert at the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector.