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Azerbaijan will spare no effort to work with African states during its NAM Chairmanship, says FM

26 May 2022 15:46 (UTC +04:00)

As the incumbent Chairmanship of the Movement, the Republic of Azerbaijan has identified the African continent as one of its priority regions to focus on during its tenure, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the Conference on the topic of “Legacy of African continent in the evolution of the Non-Aligned Movement” dedicated to Africa Day, Ministry of Foreign Affairs told APA.

Since the assumption of chairmanship of NAM coincided with COVID-19 pandemic, Azerbaijan, in its both national and NAM chair capacities, has spared no effort to promote the global initiatives that aimed to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the developing countries, particularly on African countries.

In its national capacity Azerbaijan has provided significant amount of financial and humanitarian assistance to the African countries, including through Azerbaijan International Development Agency, to minimize the impact of crisis situations on African people. Azerbaijan also made contribution to development of education in Africa and carried out joint projects with UNESCO, in the field of girls` education.

Owning an enormous potential, Africa is a continent of hope and promise. The world has much to gain from this continent which has the youngest population in the world. Here in NAM, we acknowledge and cherish this vast potential.

During its 60 years of existence, NAM Countries, despite their ideological, political, economic, social and cultural diversity, have shown their ability to overcome their differences and found a common ground for action that leads to mutual cooperation and the upholding of their shared values. Contribution of African countries, by no doubt, have been priceless in enduring the NAM throughout the decades and I hope today’s conference will constitute an excellent opportunity to reflect on it. The composition of panels with speakers of diverse backgrounds is quite promising to have productive deliberations on the history, present day and future role of African continent in ensuring global peace and development.

As the world is undergoing major change and developments, it remains imperative to recommit ourselves to the fundamental principles of humanism and universalism. Azerbaijan will spare no effort during its NAM Chairmanship and beyond to work with the member states, including the ones in African continent to promote multilateral diplomacy and strengthen cooperation, friendship and solidarity between members of the NAM.