On August 25, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade received Ahmad Metani, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to our country.

Warmly greeting the Ambassador, Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB) chairman A. Pashazade emphasized that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Palestine are united by ties of friendship and brotherhood. He noted that he has always maintained relations with Palestine during his time as Sheikh-ul-Islam. Recalling his meetings with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade spoke about the Azerbaijani state's active participation in international events related to Palestine, as well as the support conference organized in our country. He stated that Azerbaijan has always supported the just demands of the Palestinian people and the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the "two-state principle" and relevant UN resolutions on all international platforms. Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade also mentioned Azerbaijan's humanitarian aid to Palestine and expressed his disappointment with the current events and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that he is praying for a peaceful resolution to the problem.

Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade wished the new ambassador success in his future endeavors and expressed hope that during his tenure, he would do his utmost to expand relations between our peoples and cooperation between our states.

Ambassador A. Metani stated that after presenting his credentials to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, his first wish was to meet with Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade. He conveyed the greetings of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Muhammad Hussein, to the religious leader of Azerbaijan. He expressed great pleasure in the prospect of organizing a meeting between the religious leaders of Azerbaijan and Palestine during his time as ambassador.

The Palestinian ambassador then shared his views on the events in Gaza. Touching on the upcoming OIC Summit, which Azerbaijan will host next year, the ambassador expressed hope that important decisions regarding Palestine will be made at this meeting.

CMB Press Service