Astana, September 10, AZERTAC

The First Summit on Science and Technology of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has kicked off in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the Summit.

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted President Ilham Aliyev and other heads of state and government.

The Summit participants posed together for photographs.

An initiative of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the First OIC Summit on Science and Technology is attended by heads of state and government, ministers responsible for science and technology from 57 countries, and nearly 80 delegates from observer countries and international organizations.

The Summit opened with the recitation of verses from the Quran.

Addressing the opening session, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed his confidence that the Summit will give impetus to cooperation in the Islamic world.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirzioyev, President of Guinea Alpha Condé, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef Al-Othaimeen addressed the event.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the Summit.

                                    Speech of President Ilham Aliyev

- In the name of Allah, the Gracious and the Merciful.

Dear friends!

I am very glad to be back in Kazakhstan. I think very highly of the first Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on science and technology.

Azerbaijan is an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Over the past few years, about 10 meetings of the ministers of foreign affairs, culture, tourism, education, labor and other ministers of the OIC member-countries have been held in Azerbaijan. We actively cooperate with member-countries of the organization both in the bilateral format and within the framework of international organizations. Azerbaijan always supports Muslim countries in international organizations it is a member of. The OIC, for its part, also provides Azerbaijan with great support and appreciates the policy pursued by our country. The OIC has always demonstrated a fair position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of Azerbaijan, and has adopted numerous resolutions reflecting Azerbaijan's fair position.

The Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held last year established a Contact Group in connection with Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan. We appreciate this decision and express our gratitude to the OIC and its members for this fair position.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions in connection with the conflict. These resolutions require an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories. Armenia does not comply with these resolutions, but no sanctions are applied against it. These are double standards. Armenia has occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, native and historical Azerbaijani land, and another seven of our districts for more than 25 years. As a result of this aggression, 20 per cent of our land is under occupation and more than a million Azerbaijanis live in the situation of refugees and displaced persons in their native land. The Armenians have carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against our people. Armenia has committed war crimes.

In 1992, Armenia committed the Khojaly genocide. As a result of this war crime, 613 peaceful Azerbaijanis were brutally murdered by Armenian fascists, including 106 women and 63 children. Thousands of people went missing and were injured. More than 10 countries have officially recognized the Khojaly genocide.

Armenian atrocities continue today. In July of this year, a two-year-old Azerbaijani child was killed together with his grandmother as a result of a projectile dropped by the Armenians. This is atrocity. This is another bloody crime of the part of Armenian fascism. At the direction of the Armenian leadership, all mosques in our occupied lands have been destroyed. Photos of the ruined mosques of Shusha, Agdam and other cities are documentary evidence of Armenian vandalism.

Islamophobia in Armenia has reached its peak. Armenia is trying very hard to expand ties with various Muslim countries. It would be wrong to believe their hypocritical and deceitful words. Armenia, which has destroyed sacred mosques in Azerbaijan, can’t be a friend of any Muslim country.

In April of last year, the heroic Azerbaijani army liberated a part of our lands from Armenian occupation. We have built a new settlement there. A school, a medical center and a mosque have been built in the village of Jojug Marjanli, which consists of 150 houses. In the village of Jojug Marjanli liberated from occupation, we have built a replica of the Shusha mosque destroyed by the Armenians. This once again demonstrates the indestructible spirit of the Azerbaijani people and our attachment to our religious values. The Armenians have destroyed our mosques. But these mosques rise in our hearts and no-one can ever destroy them.

Azerbaijan is making a great contribution to the cause of Islamic solidarity. We are vehemently fighting against Islamophobia, which seems to be raising its head in various regions around the world. We strongly condemn the crimes committed against Muslims, in particular, the facts of genocide and mass violence perpetrated against the Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar recently. We call on international organizations, the world community, political and religious leaders to take the steps necessary to stop the events taking place in Myanmar. In fact, I would like to inform you that on 8 September, Azerbaijan sent humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees - 100 tons of food.

2017 has been declared a Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the Fourth Games of Islamic Solidarity were held in Azerbaijan this year. More than 50 Muslim countries took part in this magnificent celebration of friendship and brotherhood. I am sure that about 3,000 athletes and thousands of guests left Baku with the most pleasant impressions.

Azerbaijan is a rapidly developing country. Over the past 14 years, the gross domestic product of our country has more than tripled. A total of 1.6 million jobs have been created. The poverty level has decreased to 5 per cent. Literacy is close to 100 per cent. Scientific and modern technologies are successfully developing in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is one of the few members of the space faring club.

In conclusion of my speech, I would like to note that Azerbaijan, as an active member of the OIC, will continue to contribute to the strengthening of Islamic solidarity. Thank you.

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Other speakers included President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla, Vice-President of the Comoros Abdallah Said Sarouma, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic, President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro, and Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Khalid Abdulaziz Al-Falih.

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The Summit aims to identify priorities, goals and targets for the advancement and promotion of science, technology and innovation in the OIC Member States.

The Summit, which is the first ever meeting of heads of state and government devoted exclusively to science and technology, will set the stage for shaping the future of science and technology agenda, reaffirm the commitment of the leadership to science and technology at the highest level and identify priorities, targets and recommended actions for the Muslim countries in the field of science and technology for the next decade.