AZERBAIJAN INTENDS TO PUT FORWARD CANDIDACY FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL NON-PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP IN 2012-2013

Today.Az
28 September 2009

Azerbaijan backs efforts to establish an independent and sovereign
Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said during a speech at the meeting of
foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference in New
York, the Foreign Ministry said.

"The situation in Palestine and the issue of Jerusalem remain a
topical issue for the Islamic community and members of the OIC must
show a unified position in this regard in the international community,"
Mammadyarov said.

"Azerbaijan backs efforts of the Palestinian people to establish an
independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital".

"We must be ready to respond to such challenges as the fight against
extremism, as well as terrorism and religious fanaticism," Mammadyarov
said.

He said Azerbaijan intends to continue to cooperate with the
Organization of Islamic Conference, and has applied to host the OIC
summit in 2014 in Baku.

Azerbaijan also hopes that the OIC member states which are represented
in the UN Security Council would support Azerbaijan’s candidacy
for non-permanent membership in the Security Council in 2012-2013,
he added.

Non-permanent membership of Azerbaijan will be discussed at the
meeting of the 66th session of UN General Assembly in 2011.

Mammadyarov said that the decisions and resolutions of the OIC on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been very useful for the formation of
approach by the international community, as well as the UN General
Assembly and Security Council on the issue of occupation of Azerbaijani
territory by Armenia.

Azerbaijan supports resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under
international law, UN resolutions and the OIC and OSCE documents,
and hopes for continuing support by the OIC, Mammadyarov said.