Azernews.Az

By Trend

Azerbaijani First Deputy Minister of Culture, Acting Minister Anar Karimov held an online meeting with Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the ministry told Trend.

During the meeting, Karimov informed about the liberation of Shusha city by the heroic Azerbaijani troops, which is the cradle of Azerbaijani culture and has been under Armenian occupation for almost 30 years, and also emphasized the importance of this event for Islamic and world culture.

Karimov stressed that as a result of the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a number of cities were completely destroyed, all cultural values were looted, historical monuments and cultural centers were barbarously destroyed, mosques were desecrated.

The Azerbaijani first deputy minister added that the Ministry of Culture has prepared a special action plan to revive the cultural environment in the liberated territories, restore monuments, museums, and various cultural centers.

By congratulating the Azerbaijani people on this historic victory, AlMalik said that ICESCO from the first days expressed its full support to Azerbaijan and stressed that it is a partner in developing a joint work plan for cooperation in this sphere.

AlMalik also said that ICESCO experts are ready to organize a research visit to these territories.

During the meeting, Karimov spoke about the importance of long-term cooperation between Azerbaijan and ICESCO, stressed that this cooperation is of great importance for Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani first deputy minister stressed that presently, some media are conducting a biased and slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan and brought to attention that it is desirable for such an international organization as ICESCO to more actively support Azerbaijan's fair position.

Azerbaijan has supported all the projects implemented by ICESCO to date in accordance with the relevant instructions of the country's leadership and will continue to render support.

The views on the protection of cultural heritage, the development of folk crafts, the further development of the "Baku process" initiative, the visit of ICESCO director-general to Azerbaijan, etc. were exchanged at the meeting.