President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received participants of the Baku Conference of Ministers of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Welcoming the guests, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Dear guests, heads of delegations.

I warmly welcome all of you to Azerbaijan. You are welcome! I salute all the guests who have come to Azerbaijan to attend a conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. I am very pleased that the Conference of the Ministers of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is being held in Baku. I am confident that this conference will produce very good results. I would also like to note that this is the fifth conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the level of ministers to be held in Baku in the past few years. Prior to that, Azerbaijan has hosted conferences of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Education, Culture and Tourism. This in itself is quite significant and indicates that Azerbaijan is not only an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, but also an organizer of very respectable events. I also want to note that Baku was declared the "Capital of Islamic Culture" in 2009. This was a sign of great respect. The city of Baku carries this prestigious title with great honor.

The issues being discussed are very important for every country, including Azerbaijan.

I know that one of the topics on the agenda is the elimination of unemployment and poverty reduction. These issues are closely related to each other. I can say that a lot has been done in Azerbaijan in recent years to address these issues.

One of our biggest successes in the last 10 years is that the poverty rate had dropped from 50 to 6 per cent, while level of unemployment to 5.2 per cent.

This shows that the progress and development observed in Azerbaijan in recent years have had a direct positive impact on the welfare of the people. Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale projects to address infrastructure issues in the social sphere. The implementation of these projects certainly leads to positive results. Our future plans are very clear and open. I am sure that Azerbaijan will join the ranks of developed countries in the future. There are all the possibilities to do that.

As I said, we are an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. I believe that the establishment in Baku of the Centre of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation may also be appropriate. I believe that the reforms aimed at eliminating unemployment conducted in Azerbaijan in recent years and the experience we have accumulated may be of interest. At the same time, the establishment of a structure of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Baku could further strengthen our unity.

By and large, I can say that Azerbaijan is playing a role in the development of Islamic solidarity. In 2011, Azerbaijan was overwhelmingly elected as a member of the UN Security Council – the top organization in the world. A total of 155 countries supported our candidacy, and the support of Muslim countries was particularly meaningful. We were fully confident that we would get the support of fraternal countries, and we got it. We are now into a second year of membership in the Security Council, representing not only ourselves, but also, I think, the entire Muslim world. Other steps have been taken as well. I believe that these steps have made a great contribution to the unity of the Muslim world.

We will continue to provide this support.

At the same time, I want to express my gratitude to all the Muslim countries that have supported our fair cause. The vast majority of Muslim countries stands by us in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, actively supports us and supports justice. There are still quite many of our compatriots who have been affected by the Armenian aggression. Armenia has conducted a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis have been evicted from their historical and ancestral lands. All of our historical and religious monuments and mosques have been destroyed by the Armenians. There is plenty of evidence, documents, video footage and photographs confirming these atrocities. The Armenians have committed an act of genocide against the Azerbaijanis. In February 1992, they perpetrated the Khojaly genocide, as 613 people, including more than 100 women and 63 children, became victims of genocide committed by the Armenians. It was unprecedented brutality, a manifestation of Armenian fascism.

International law is on our side. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on an unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied lands. But, unfortunately, these resolutions remain unfulfilled. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and other organizations have adopted resolutions and decisions on the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. But the issue remains unresolved. Twenty per cent of our lands are under occupation and more than a million Azerbaijanis are still suffering from this occupation.

I want to express my appreciation to all the fraternal countries again for supporting us. Dear guests, I wish the conference every success. Please convey my greetings to the heads of state and government of the countries you represent.

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Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Labour Mofarrej al-Haqbani said that he was witnessing rapid development of Azerbaijan, which is exemplary for other countries. He said that the Baku Conference of Ministers of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was of great importance in terms of cooperation. Mofarrej al-Haqbani said:

- Dear Mr. President, on behalf of my colleagues participating in the Second Meeting of Labor Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation I would like thank you and the Azerbaijani side for the excellent organization of this conference. We express our deep gratitude to you for receiving us in your beautiful country and for you warm hospitality.
Azerbaijan, of course, is the jewel of Asia and the Caucasus, and the successes achieved in all areas of life in your country serve as an example for other countries. Of course, all these achievements are based on your hard work, Your Excellency. While in Azerbaijan, we feel very much at home.

At the same time, I want to express my deep gratitude to the people of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani people are a very tolerant people. They are a model of tolerance. We feel at home here, among our friends and brothers. Once again, we express our deep appreciation and gratitude for the excellent organization. At the same time, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all Muslim countries, I want to reiterate that we will always provide full support to Azerbaijan, we will always support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

It is an honor for me to convey to you greetings on behalf of the officials of Saudi Arabia, the King of Saudi Arabia. Thank you very much.

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Speaking next was the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Turkey, Faruk Celik, who said that the conference would contribute to a further expansion of cooperation. He noted that the topics of elimination of unemployment and poverty discussed at the conference were among the issues of concern to the whole world. The successful measures taken in Azerbaijan in this field are welcomed, he said. Stressing that the developments ongoing in Azerbaijan made a great impression on him, Faruk Celik said:

- First of all, I consider it my duty to convey to you greetings on behalf of our esteemed President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We, the Ministers of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, are gathered in Baku for the second time. On behalf of all my colleagues I thank for the excellent organization of the conference.

Issues of employment and business life are of interest to the whole world. It is impossible for a country to remain indifferent to issues such as unemployment and other areas of business life. At the same time, all nations of the world are interested in the negative trends. In this sense, we also meet as ministers of G-20. I believe that this conference and its results, the decisions adopted in Baku will make our agenda even more clear.

Mr. President, before concluding my remarks I want to say that I often come to Baku. I was here six months ago, and I can see the positive changes in the development of Baku and Azerbaijan as a whole. We have the opportunity to see this development firsthand, and I want to say that we are very pleased to see it. I don’t know how often my colleagues and other ministers come to Baku, but I want to say that I see comprehensive and dynamic changes that have taken place over a very short time. All this is the result of your successful leadership.

Of course, every country, every Muslim country has problems. We share the sorrows and joys of each other.

I want to note that whatever saddens you also gives sorrow to us, and everything that pleases you brings joy to us as well. Thank you again for this warm welcome, I express my respect.

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Expressing her satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor of the State of Kuwait, Thikra Ayedal-Rashidi, said that she was deeply impressed with the development ongoing in the country. The minister said that Azerbaijan was developing at a rapid pace in recent years, which is received very well in the friendly State of Kuwait. Congratulating President Ilham Aliyev on the successes achieved by Azerbaijan in the international arena in recent years, Thikra Ayedal-Rashidi said:

- Dear Mr. President, thank you for receiving us. Of course, we and I personally am very satisfied with the visit to Azerbaijan. The beauty of Azerbaijan, the development of your country and the warm hospitality impressed us very much. We are very happy with the development of Azerbaijan in all spheres. We are very pleased.

The State of Kuwait led by Emir attaches great importance to the event being held in Azerbaijan, therefore we are participating in this event at a high level today. At the same time, on behalf of the State of Kuwait I would like to reiterate that we have always supported and will continue to support Azerbaijan in all the spheres.

As for Azerbaijan, your country is an active member of many international organizations and plays a very important part in addressing the problems faced by the Muslim world.

Mr. President, I once again congratulate you on the successes achieved by your country. They have been achieved thanks to you. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

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The Palestinian Minister of Labor, Ahmed Majdalani, said that the conference taking place in Baku attracts attention with the relevance of the topics being discussed. He noted that the event would play an important part in the elimination of unemployment in Muslim countries and consolidate the efforts in this area. Ahmed Majdalani stressed that Azerbaijan's successes in terms of the economic development had been achieved thanks to the consistent policies pursued by President Ilham Aliyev. Thanking the people of Azerbaijan for the support of Palestine, the minister said:

- Dear Mr. President, we express our deep gratitude to you for receiving us. First of all, it is an honor for me to convey to you the greetings of your brother, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestinian Prime Minister. I would like to convey to you their gratitude for the fact that Azerbaijan has always stood by the people of Palestine and always supported the Palestinian people. Of course, we express our gratitude to you for your support during the vote which took place in the UN Security Council in November last year.

In June, Azerbaijan will also host a conference of donor countries. This is a very important conference. We want to express our gratitude to the Azerbaijani side in advance for the organization of that conference. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan has recently paid a visit to Palestine. During this visit political consultations between the two countries were held. The prospects for the development of fraternal and friendly relations between the two countries were also discussed. Taking this opportunity, I want to congratulate you on all the successes achieved by your country both in the economic and social spheres. All of these successes have been achieved thanks to you.

The second meeting of Labor Ministers of Muslim countries taking place now is of great importance. The elimination of unemployment in Muslim countries is hugely important for the solution of many other problems. We believe that double standards applied by some countries should always be condemned. I would like to note that in many cases Azerbaijan also faces double standards - the lands of Azerbaijan have also been subjected to occupation.

We want this problem to be resolved as soon as possible. Thank you very much again.

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In conclusion, wishing the conference every success, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you very much. First of all, thank you for your kind words about our country and the work ongoing in Azerbaijan. I am sure that you will have the opportunity to see Baku more closely. At the same time, I should note that the ideas you have expressed will further solidify our organization because it is underpinned by unity and close cooperation in the Muslim world.

Of course, mutual political support should be in the foreground. Azerbaijan is doing everything possible to ensure that cooperation between all Muslim countries is at the highest level.

For its part, our country will continue to contribute to this cause. At the same time, in order to strengthen our unity it is necessary to step up economic ties. A role in addressing this issue is played by relevant agencies, ministries and joint committees. Of course, the contacts established at the ministerial level, the collaboration and cooperation will multiply our strength.

As far as economic cooperation is concerned, we may envisage the implementation of investment projects. The exchange of experience and the increase of the trade turnover will also, I am sure, further strengthen our unity. We have to strengthen this unity in various ways.

As I said, political support should be in the foreground. We always support each other in international organizations. We have to demonstrate our united stance with regard to double standards. By deepening economic cooperation, we can easily resolve the existing problems in our countries – unemployment and poverty. Therefore, mutual support means both political and economic support. At the same time, I believe that the most painful problem for all of us is the growing trend of Islamophobia in some countries, the formation of negative attitudes towards Islam. I can say with full confidence that this attitude is formed intentionally. Major campaigns are held to present Islam in a negative light. We, for our part, should give these campaigns a tangible response.

Over the past years, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has become an organization enjoying great respect in the world. In Muslim countries, the issues of education, health and social issues must be addressed even more quickly.

Economic cooperation is in the foreground here, because our countries can achieve even greater success.

I salute you once again and wish you all the best.

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A picture was taken at the end of the meeting.