Azerbaijan hosts first OTS meeting on religious affairs in Shusha PHOTO

Azerbaijan is hosting the inaugural meeting of the heads of state institutions overseeing religious affairs from the member states of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Shusha.

The gathering has brought together delegations from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Participants are discussing ways to deepen cooperation in areas including relations between the state and religious communities, education, legislative policies, and the training of religious administration personnel.

They are also exploring opportunities for joint initiatives aimed at preserving, restoring and promoting the religious and cultural heritage sites shared by Turkic nations on the international stage.

The agenda also covers the promotion of intercultural understanding, interfaith dialogue, Islamic solidarity, the exchange of knowledge and information in combating religious radicalism and extremism, as well as closer coordination among the relevant institutions.

One of the central issues under consideration is the creation of a permanent cooperation mechanism within the OTS to unite government agencies responsible for religious affairs.

The meeting is scheduled to conclude with the adoption of a joint communiqué.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov