NEW YORK (Today.az)—Azerbaijan is seeking support from member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in its bid to gain a non-permanent seat on the United Nation’s Security Council in 2012.
Speaking to a meeting of foreign ministers representing OIC member states, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov over the weekend said his country hopes the grouping of states will support its candidacy as a means to ensure a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.
Baku intends to put forth its candidacy for the 2012-2013 seat during the 66th session of the UN General Assembly scheduled for 2011.
“The situation in Palestine and the issue of Jerusalem remain a topical issue for the Islamic community and members of the OIC must show a unified position in this regard in the international community,” Mammadyarov said, making his case for Azerbaijan’s bid for the UN Security Council.
“Azerbaijan backs efforts of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he said, adding that the OIC must be “ready to respond to such challenges as the fight against extremism, as well as terrorism and religious fanaticism.”
Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan intends to continue to cooperate with the Organization of Islamic Conference, and has applied to host the OIC summit in 2014 in Baku.
Turning to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov described as “very useful” the decisions and resolutions on the Karabakh conflict issued by the OIC, the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council.
Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan seeks to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within international law, and based on UN resolutions and OIC and OSCE documents, and hopes for continued support from the OIC on this front.