Azerbaijan, Palestine set to seal new cultural cooperation pact, minister says

Palestinian Minister of Culture Imad al-Din Abdullah Salim Hamdan has announced that Azerbaijan and Palestine are working toward signing a bilateral cultural cooperation agreement.

Speaking to local media on the sidelines of the OIC Cultural Festival, Minister Hamdan noted the significance of the event, describing it as a platform that unites creative industry representatives and cultural figures from across the Islamic world, Caliber.Az reports.

“It is a great honor for me to participate in such a prestigious event as the OIC Cultural Festival,” he said. “This festival brings together not only representatives of the creative industry but also cultural figures from across the Islamic world. It contributes to strengthening cultural solidarity and promoting our shared values.”

Hamdan highlighted the deep historical, cultural, and spiritual foundations shared by Islamic nations.

“This is why it is essential to maintain continuous cultural dialogue, strengthen creative exchange, and develop joint projects. This platform creates opportunities for bringing our countries closer together and expanding cultural integration,” he emphasized.

The minister commended Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture and partner organizations for their professional organization of the festival, adding that he had previously participated in major cultural events held in Baku and Shusha.

“The designation of Shusha as the ‘Cultural Capital of the Islamic World’ has gone down in history as a symbol of justice, restoration, and cultural revival,” he said. “It is always a pleasure to be in Azerbaijan, and we believe that our relations with this brotherly country will continue to strengthen.”

Hamdan revealed that Palestine places great importance on expanding cultural ties with Azerbaijan and that work is underway to formalize cooperation between their respective ministries.

“We are currently working on signing a cultural cooperation agreement… aimed at expanding the exchange of experience, creative partnerships, and joint cultural projects,” he noted, adding that Palestine would be pleased to host Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture for the signing.

He stressed that initiatives of this kind play a vital role in promoting peace, universal values, compassion, and the creative legacy of Islamic culture on the global stage.

“We will remain committed to this unity and these principles, and we will continue to expand our cooperation in the future,” he concluded.

By Vafa Guliyeva