Azerbaijan says it contributed $1.6 million to UNRWA to support Palestinian refugees

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan said Wednesday it contributed nearly $2 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), during an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“Talking about Azerbaijan's efforts to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, (Foreign) Minister Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out that our country has contributed $1.6 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency in order to support Palestinian refugees,” according to a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, following talks in Saudi Arabia.

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said at the ministerial level meeting that recent Israel-Hamas clashes have resulted in “a serious deterioration of the security situation in the region” and are “a cause for concern.”

The statement said Bayramov highlighted Azerbaijan's demands for “the cessation of military operations and escalation.”

“The importance of protecting civil and infrastructure facilities, as well as sacred places, was emphasized in order to prevent the threat to the lives of peaceful people, as well as the aggravation of the current situation,” it said.

The statement highlighted the importance of the international community's efforts against steps that threaten peace talks.

In also said Bayramov noted Azerbaijan’s support for “the Palestinian people’s struggle for statehood” and Baku’s support for “the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-state principle, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legal norms, as well as relevant UN resolutions.”

“Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that we will continue our efforts to achieve a solution to the Palestinian problem in accordance with the norms and principles of international law,” it said.