Today, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov addressed an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told APA.

Mr. Bayramov thanked the OIC chairman for the initiative to convene the meeting, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Pakistani side for hosting the event.

Azerbaijan’s FM said that the escalation of the situation in Afghanistan, one of the founding members of the organization, creates serious problems at the regional and global levels and is a source of common concern. The dire humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Afghanistan are threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, and the entire international community is calling for immediate action.

“Founded on the noble principle of Islamic solidarity, the OIC has a responsibility to stand by our Afghan brothers and sisters in these difficult times. Thanks to the significant experience gained in recent years in the field of humanitarian assistance and the mechanisms and institutions established, the OIC is in a good position to play a leading role in resolving the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. As a responsible member of the organization, Azerbaijan is ready to support the efforts of the OIC in this direction. The root causes of the current situation should not be overlooked in order to find sustainable solutions. In this context, the establishment of a fully functional inclusive governance system in the country, especially the risk of terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking among young people, poverty eradication and support for sustainable economic development continues to be vital. Otherwise, humanitarian aid alone will not be a solution to the suffering of the Afghan people for decades,” Mr. Bayramov said.

Source: Azeri-Press News Agency