Baku, Islamabad map out new cultural partnership during OIC Cultural Fest

Azerbaijan and Pakistan have held talks aimed at deepening cultural cooperation, as senior officials from both countries met in Baku during the OIC Cultural Fest: Baku Creative Week 2025.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture, Adil Karimli, met with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, who is visiting Baku for the festival, Caliber.Az reports via the Ministry of Culture.

Karimli thanked Pakistan for its strong representation at the international event, noting that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Pakistan are bound by longstanding ties of friendship and brotherhood. He said the close relationship between the countries’ leaders continues to underpin the high level of bilateral cooperation.

Azerbaijan highlighted Pakistan’s consistent and unequivocal support for its positions over the years, stressing that relations between the two nations grow stronger annually.

The Pakistani minister expressed gratitude for the warm reception, pointing to significant potential for further cooperation in the cultural sphere. He underscored the need to develop a roadmap and a structured programme to advance joint initiatives.

The two ministers exchanged views on expanding collaboration across various areas of culture.

On December 8, Baku launched the OIC Cultural Fest: Baku Creative Week 2025, organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The event, bringing together over 300 international participants from more than 40 countries, aims to strengthen dialogue, partnership, and innovation across the Islamic world’s creative industries.

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Adil Karimli said the festival serves as a key platform for cultural diplomacy and global creative collaboration. Senior OIC representatives and ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Palestine, and Türkiye praised Azerbaijan’s role in promoting Islamic solidarity and cultural exchange.

The ceremony featured performances of Azerbaijani national music and a composition dedicated to Shusha, followed by a tour of exhibition stands. The festival will continue until December 11.

By Aghakazim Guliyev