During his visit to Italy, the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders and the Al-Azhar Shaykh, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb.

According to AZERTAC, during the meeting, Al-Azhar Shaykh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb stated that Azerbaijan is a wonderful example for the Muslim Council of Elders and the entire Islamic world in terms of both inter-denominational unity and inter-religious harmony and accord. He added that Azerbaijan is therefore always at the forefront of Al-Azhar's and the Muslim Council of Elders' attention.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade announced that the document titled A Call to the People of the Qibla, adopted at the conclusion of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference held in Manama, Bahrain, in February this year, had been published as a book in four languages by the Caucasus Muslims Board. He presented several copies of the book to Ahmad Al-Tayyeb.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar gratefully accepted the publications, stating that Azerbaijan is a leader and a model in matters of inter-denominational unity.

The publication of the book in Azerbaijani, Arabic, English and Russian aims to disseminate this document throughout the Caucasus region, Central Asia, the CIS and the rest of the world. This work is being carried out by the Caucasus Muslims Board, particularly through the efforts of Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade. The CMB Chairman recently presented copies of the book to religious figures and public representatives during his visit to the United States.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade informed Shaykh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb of Al-Azhar that, on the eve of next year's Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Azerbaijan, the Caucasus Muslims Board and the Muslim Council of Elders will co-organise a conference for religious leaders from various countries, alongside other institutions. The conference will focus on intra-Islamic dialogue and combatting Islamophobia.

Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade stated that the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres; the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations and UN Under-Secretary-General, Miguel Ángel Moratinos; and other officials had been invited to the conference.

In turn, the Al-Azhar Shaykh confirmed the proposal to jointly organise the conference, expressing his agreement and intention to participate in the event in person. He emphasised his great affection for Azerbaijan and for President Ilham Aliyev personally, and his eagerness to visit the country again.

Ahmad Al-Tayyeb said that President Aliyev's blessing for holding this conference was very important to him and that he held our head of state in high regard among world leaders.

At the meeting, it was stressed that organisational work related to preparing for the conference will be initiated by the Caucasus Muslims Board and the Muslim Council of Elders in the coming months. The parties also expressed satisfaction with the successful continuation of cooperation between the two religious institutions, and exchanged views on future plans.

The model of inter-denominational and inter-religious unity and understanding in Azerbaijan, a multicultural country, was cited as an example when drafting the document 'A Call to the People of the Qibla'.