Meeting with the Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine

On 30 March, as part of his official visit to Palestine, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine and Palestinians living abroad Riyad Al-Maliki, the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan reported.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that mutual high-level visits between Azerbaijan and Palestine, including political dialogue, play an important role in the development of relations based on friendship, solidarity and mutual respect between the two countries. It was noted with satisfaction the effective agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine in various fields, including political, economic, cultural, humanitarian, educational, tourism and other fields on bilateral and multilateral basis, the United Nations (UN), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the existence of mutual support within the framework of other international organisations. In this regard, confidence was expressed that the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Decree on the establishment of the Representative Office of the State of Palestine in Ramallah will play an important role in the further development of relations between the two countries.

It was underlined that Azerbaijan supports the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which threatens international peace, security and stability and has caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the region, on the basis of the two-state model in accordance with international legal norms, including UN Security Council resolutions.

"Minister Jeyhun Bayramov briefed the other side in detail on the regional situation in the post-conflict period and said that Azerbaijan is determined to continue its activities in this field, despite the efforts made by Azerbaijan in the direction of establishing peace and security in the region, as well as advancing the peace agenda with Armenia," the report added.

Minister Riyad Al-Maliki discussed the prospects of the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine and stressed the importance of expanding efforts to further develop relations. In this regard, it was noted that the political consultations held between the two states have significantly contributed to the current political dialogue. Baku's humanitarian assistance to Palestine was highly appreciated and the importance of increasing support in this area was noted. Azerbaijan's educational scholarships for Palestinian students were highly appreciated.

Meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine

On the same day, as part of his official visit to Palestine, Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh.

At the meeting, the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine in various fields, issues of interaction at multilateral platforms and the regional situation were discussed.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the relations between the two nations are based on historical roots and the two peoples have strong and friendly ties, spoke about the prospects of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine in various fields and expressed confidence that the opening of Azerbaijan's representative office in the Palestinian city of Ramallah will create new opportunities for the development of existing relations.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that Azerbaijan has always shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause, stressing that Baku supports the solution of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state principle in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and decisions, and that this position is clearly expressed within the framework of international organisations.

Mohammed Shtayyeh said his country is interested in further developing cooperation with Azerbaijan. He thanked the Azerbaijani government for humanitarian assistance and attention to the Palestinian issue. The Prime Minister provided detailed information on the difficulties related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Meeting with the President of the State of Palestine

On 30 March, President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
President Mahmoud Abbas noted with satisfaction that the broad agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine, mutual support and solidarity within the framework of international organisations is admirable. As the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan's initiatives to strengthen the Movement, including coordination of activities of member states, are commendable, he said.
"Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also took note of the current situation in the region after the 44-day Patriotic War, the establishment of peace and security in the region in the post-conflict period, the opening of transport and communications, and the measures taken by Azerbaijan to ensure the dignified return of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were expelled from their homes as a result of almost 30 years of occupation. He briefed the other party in detail on the reconstruction and construction works. It was pointed out that Armenia's continuous provocations and failure to fulfil its obligations are an obstacle to Azerbaijan's peace and construction efforts in the region," the report added.