Baku: Azerbaijan remains fully committed to advancing the goals of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament), Sahiba Gafarova said during her speech at the opening ceremony of the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States in Baku, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Gafarova highlighted the consistent solidarity shown by OIC member states towards Azerbaijan, both during and after the occupation. She affirmed that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its member states have maintained a principled stance regarding the occupied territories and the regional situation. With numerous decisions and resolutions adopted over the past three decades, Azerbaijan plans to continue its cooperation and uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Gafarova expressed gratitude to partner countries for their ongoing support on this issue.

Gafarova further emphasized Azerbaijan's active role in promoting Islamic solidarity. She mentioned that initiatives such as a youth school and a labor center have been implemented within this framework. Numerous events have been organized to promote Islamic culture and underscore that Islam is a religion of peace, progress, and prosperity.

Addressing the challenges facing the Islamic world, Gafarova noted the serious issues such as poverty, social and economic difficulties, armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, terrorism, and extremism. She stressed the importance of increasing joint efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. To overcome these challenges and ensure lasting peace, Gafarova urged the Islamic world to act together and promote values such as peace, tolerance, harmony, and justice. She emphasized the growing importance of countries supporting one another and uniting around common goals in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.