On September 19, Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, announced the evacuation of 14 Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip who were granted the right to pursue higher education in Azerbaijan under the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant program.

During the evacuation process, which began on September 17, 10 of the students arrived at Heydar Aliyev International Airport this morning, while the remaining 4 are expected to arrive shortly. The operation was carried out with the direct involvement of the Azerbaijani embassies in Israel and Jordan, coordinated through ongoing agreements with relevant state institutions in both countries, and was supported by Azerbaijan’s representative office in Palestine.

Upon arrival, the students were welcomed by representatives of their respective higher education institutions and were accommodated in dormitories, an arrangement organized by the Ministry of Science and Education. First, ground transport from Gaza to Jordan was arranged, followed by air transport from Amman to Baku.

Bayramov noted that 8 of the students were accepted into the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant program last year, and 6 were accepted this year. The ongoing military operations and regional instability had previously prevented the students accepted last year from traveling to Azerbaijan. Since May, following requests from the students and the Palestinian authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been facilitating their evacuation and safe arrival in the country.