Rabat (UNA-OIC) – Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Dr. Salim Mohammed AlMalik received here on Monday Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Morocco Oktay Sudef Ogly Gurbanov.
During the meeting, the two sides explored ways to promote the outstanding relations of cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and Azerbaijan in the fields of education, science, and culture.
The ambassador briefed the ICESCO chief on the latest developments of the “Nagorno-Karabakh” conflict with Armenia while thanking him for the Organization’s support to Azerbaijan in various fields.
Gurbanov also commended ICESCO’s statement last September on the conflict, which called for compliance with the principles of international law, respect for the cultural and historical rights of their legitimate holders, and preservation of the heritage sites considered as a human civilizational heritage.
In its statement, ICESCO also expressed its concern over the damage made to many historical heritage sites, including mosques and other sacred places.
For his part, AlMalik stressed ICESCO’s keenness and sustained action to preserve heritage in Muslim countries through the inscription of historic sites and intangible heritage on the Islamic World Heritage List, the restoration of many endangered sites, and training sessions for the specialists of heritage conservation and restoration.