AZE.US
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on July 16 received Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Baku, reaffirming Azerbaijan’s support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Aliyev said Mustafa’s visit would contribute to strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and Palestine.
The Palestinian prime minister conveyed greetings from President Mahmoud Abbas and thanked Azerbaijan for its political and humanitarian support.
Mustafa said the Palestinian territories were facing an extremely difficult situation and expressed hope that assistance from friendly countries would help address the crisis. He also thanked Azerbaijan for its plans to build a secondary school in Palestine.
The two sides described the opening of Azerbaijan’s representative office in Ramallah and Baku’s decision to cover the operating costs of the Palestinian Embassy in Azerbaijan as signs of the high level of bilateral ties.
During the meeting, officials recalled that Azerbaijan provided $5 million in financial assistance to Palestine in 2013 following international donor conferences hosted by Baku. Azerbaijan has also supported Palestinians through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA.
Education cooperation was also discussed. Twenty-three Palestinian students are currently studying in Azerbaijan under the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant, while the total number of Palestinian students enrolled in the country stands at 37.
Aliyev and Mustafa also discussed the possible export of certain Palestinian agricultural products to Azerbaijan under preferential terms and exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
AZE.US