Esteemed Ministers,

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am very glad to welcome you to Azerbaijan.

The events of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) held in Azerbaijan further strengthening relations between the country and the organization. We are trying to be a very active member of the organization, take part in all of its events, and are the initiators of some of them. This is the second gathering of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Baku. The first one, which brought together Ministers of Foreign Affairs, was marked by making very useful and important decisions. Today, Azerbaijan is hosting the Session of the Tourism Ministers. This event in itself shows that Azerbaijan is very active in the organization and seeks to contribute to its strengthening. The Organization of the Islamic Conference is that uniting the Islamic world. It pleases us very much that international influence and the role of the organization is growing every year because nowadays, solidarity and unity of the Muslim countries take on special significance. Our historical and cultural ties, as well as political interests are of great importance. Our joint responses to the existing challenges, our attitude to the critical situations, and developments in hot spots across the globe, have essential impact on the processes taking place worldwide.

Strengthening of our organization, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, will strengthen our positions, bring our views on the region and the world even closer, and thus, increase our influence on the processes taking place around the world. This is what we want, and this is what the OIC’s events in Azerbaijan are aimed at.

At the same time, the Islamic tourism ministers’ get-together in Azerbaijan is a kind of presentation of Azerbaijan, because the country is the young independent state. It has been only 15 years since we lived as an independent state, and we still have a great need for popularization of our country. I know the vast majority of the ministers are for the first time in Azerbaijan, and I believe that their familiarization with our country will create a good basis for further cementing our relations.

What we want, and what we seek is to deepen the existing cooperation with all the member-countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This, of course, is the aim of holding such events in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is rapidly developing in both political and economical areas. The processes taking place in Azerbaijan, the processes taking place in the region further strengthening of our country. Last year’s economic growth in Azerbaijan was 26 percent, and has reached 36 percent only for six months of this year. It enables us to have our financial possibilities increased, and the problems facing the republic solved successfully. We intend to develop all sectors of the economy, and undoubtedly, a great attention is being paid to the tourism one. In a word, the yearly growing economy of Azerbaijan creates a very good basis for all-round development of our country. At the same time, unfortunately, no solution has been found to the longstanding Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the source of the greatest danger for Azerbaijan and the whole region. The Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijan and the policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis have led to occupation of 20 percent of our lands. Because of the occupation and the policy of ethnic cleansing, over million of Azerbaijanis became internally displaced. This is not only a humanitarian catastrophe; it is a great injustice, and violation by Armenia of all the international legal norms. Various international organizations have adopted respective resolutions on this conflict. The United Nations Organization adopted four resolutions demanding unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories. However, Armenia has been ignoring the resolutions. In the beginning of the last year, the Council of Europe adopted the similar resolution recognizing Armenia as an aggressor. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, as always, supports the fair position of Azerbaijan overtly demanding, in its resolutions and decisions, putting an end to the aggressive policy of Armenia. However, no solution has been found to the conflict. Azerbaijan was subjected to the policy of ethnic cleansing, and experienced a number of terrorist attacks killing over two thousand of our compatriots.

Today is September 11, and all of you remember well the horrible terrorist attacks on the United States of America. Innocent people were killed, and today we are commemorating them. The Muslim world condemned those horrible attacks, and today, our joint efforts also include the fight against terror. All the efforts should be consolidated to withstand terrorism. One cannot fight this threat alone.

Azerbaijan is ready to contribute to this business, and is doing that. There is one more point that is always raised at the meetings of the Organization of the Islamic Conference: some forces attempt to identify terror with Islam. It must not be allowed. Those who identify terror with Islam, deliberately or not, thereby carry out aggression against our religion. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. We want to live in peace and stability with representatives of all other religions, and we will achieve it.

Therefore, there are a lot of economic, political and cultural issues, challenges in the organization to cover. I am convinced that the more often we meet the more progress we achieve.

Cooperation between member-states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference should be more intensive. We have very good cooperation in political sphere, and the cultural ties we are bound by make a great contribution to it. In the economic sphere, there is a need for closer cooperation. Our countries have huge economic potential, and I think encouragement and support of mutual trade should occupy its place in the economic policy of each member.

Today’s conference deals with the cooperation in the tourism sector, and short film demonstrated today here presented tourism opportunities in Azerbaijan. There is very beautiful nature, nine climatic zones, over 800-km coastal zone in our country. Therefore, Azerbaijan has every condition for tourism development. We pay a great attention to this sector now. Much investment will be made to boost the tourism infrastructure. Besides, country’s infrastructure is being completely renewed since there is a need to create infrastructure objects – roads, airports and others – for developing tourism.

I can say that three new international airports are being built in the west, south and north of the country although its territory is not so big. Three new airports, which are up to the international standards, will serve as a tool for the development of tourism. Motor roads are being rapidly built, including rural roads and highways. New roads are being built in the outlying villages to facilitate the locals’ movement and, at the same time, create good conditions for tourists. New modern hotels are scheduled to be built both in Baku and Azerbaijani regions.

In a word, government does its best to have infrastructure projects implemented for developing tourism. At the same time, the private sector must take this opportunity to create new modern tourism infrastructure objects.

Today, I would like to avail myself an opportunity to call on the companies and government agencies of OIC member countries to benefit from tourism opportunities in Azerbaijan, as this sector will develop very rapidly in Azerbaijan; a great amount of foreign investments are scheduled flow in the country. We would like representatives of friendly and brotherly countries to operate in this sector. Tourism is a culture and, of course, a great sector of the economy. At the same time, it’s a factor uniting our countries because the fact that people arrive in various countries, familiarize themselves with the countries’ situation, historical monuments makes member countries of the organization closer. Of course, political links are important and they exist. I told of the economic relations and believe that they will unite OIC member countries even more. Furthermore, people will get closer to each other if tourism opportunities are taken. There is much need in it.

I want to say that we have very rich shared history, culture; there is Islamic religion uniting us. The more people communicate with each other the better it will be for us, the stronger Islamic world will become, the more accomplishments the Organization of the Islamic Conference will achieve; and, as a whole, the world will develop more comprehensively.

The Islamic world is a very big power. We have to effectively use this power. Islamic world plays a key role in restoring global peace, security, and this role is increasing. We all have to try to strengthen relations uniting the Islamic nations and reinforce our positions even more. Taking all the matters into consideration, I want to reiterate that the fact that session of the Islamic Conference tourism ministers is held in Azerbaijan is of great significance for us. I once more welcome all the visitors, thank you for coming to Azerbaijan and wish every success to the conference. Thank you.

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Then the meeting was addressed by Chairman of the 4th session of Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers, Senegal’s Minister of Tourism and Air Transport Ousmane Massek Ndiaye, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Francesco Frangialli and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Qarayev.

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Afterwards, President Ilham Aliyev and session participants familiarized themselves with the exhibition of photographs presented in the “Azerbaijan – 2006 tourism world” photo contest, in Gulustan Palace.

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After the break, the tourism ministers continued the discussions behind the closed doors.

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On behalf of President Ilham Aliyev, the reception in honor of tourism ministers of OIC member countries was given September 11 at the Baku Entertainment Center.

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The conference will be continued on September 12.