Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed his support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. He made this statement at a meeting in Baku with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.
Aliyev also expressed hope for the further strengthening of relations between Baku and Palestine and noted that the Palestinian Prime Minister's visit would give new impetus to bilateral cooperation.
Muhammad Mustafa, in turn, spoke about the dire humanitarian situation in Palestine and thanked Azerbaijan for its support. He specifically noted Baku's plans to build a secondary school in Palestine as part of its humanitarian aid.
The parties also discussed joint projects already implemented. In particular, Azerbaijan has opened its representative office in Ramallah and is funding the maintenance of the Palestinian embassy in Baku.
Azerbaijan also continues to support Palestine through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). During the meeting, the allocation of $5 million following the international donor conferences held in Baku in 2013 was also recalled.
Participants in the talks paid special attention to cooperation in the field of education. Currently, 37 Palestinian students are studying at Azerbaijani universities. More than half of them are studying under the Heydar Aliyev International Educational Grant Program.
Furthermore, the development of trade and economic cooperation was discussed, including the possible supply of certain types of Palestinian agricultural products to the Azerbaijani market on preferential terms.
The Palestinian Prime Minister's visit takes place against the backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. The UN regularly reports on the critical situation of the civilian population, shortages of food, water, and medicine, as well as ongoing mass displacement.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health and the Gaza government media office, more than 73,000 people have been killed since October 2023, over 173,000 have been injured, thousands remain trapped under rubble, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
A number of international human rights organizations, experts, and UN special rapporteurs believe that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip may constitute genocide. Israel denies these accusations.
