Ali Asadov, Azerbaijan`s Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, participated in a special session to address the Middle East crisis held as part of the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) in Cairo, Egypt.

Ali Asadov expressed his profound concern over the ongoing tension in the region.

He then added: “ The humanitarian consequences of the crisis, which has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of innocent lives and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and other Palestinian territories, have reached a critical level. In this regard, urgent measures are necessary to prevent further bloodshed.”

Stressing that Azerbaijan, as an integral part of the Muslim world, expresses its solidarity with the residents of Gaza during this challenging time, the PM emphasized: “We strongly condemn the escalation of violence, the disproportionate use of force, and the loss of civilian lives. Azerbaijan has consistently made efforts to provide financial assistance to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Our country has allocated 2 million US dollars to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people affected by this crisis. Additionally, Azerbaijan has allocated funds for the construction of a school for 600 students in Palestine”.

Noting that Azerbaijan maintains close contact with other countries in the region to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, Ali Asadov underlined: “Beyond humanitarian assistance, Azerbaijan also plays a leading role in garnering international support for Palestine. We have hosted several high-level events in this regard. Among them I would like to highlight the Donor Conference to support the establishment of the Islamic Financial Security Network and the development of Jerusalem.”

Describing the risk of tensions spreading throughout the region as a great concern, Azerbaijan’s PM stressed that Azerbaijan calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that could further escalate the situation.

“We call upon the international community to work together to achieve a ceasefire, provide necessary humanitarian assistance, and address the root causes of the conflict. A peaceful political process must be encouraged to find diplomatic solutions to the crisis. Therefore, Azerbaijan unequivocally and resolutely supports a two-state solution to the conflict, with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Azerbaijan will remain committed to efforts that promote dialogue and reconciliation and support a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Ali Asadov underscored.

Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Azerbaijani ambassador to Egypt Elkhan Polukhov were also present at the session.