The article, headlined “A Journey to a resilient Azerbaijan”, reads: “Azerbaijan hosted a Summit-level Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group in Capital Baku on March 02, 2023, aimed to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic global recovery. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev chaired the extraordinary meeting of the NAM countries. Azerbaijan is presently heading the 120-member NAM.

Under the visionary leadership of incumbent President Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan has achieved tremendous success at the national and international levels. The Republic of Azerbaijan became member of the NAM on May 26, 2011 with the unanimous support of the member states. NAM was established in 1961 and is the largest group of states outside the United Nations.

The Azerbaijan is a symbol of resilience against foreign aggression and it has succeeded in liberating the Karabakh region under the valiant leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. During the second Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan succeeded in liberating its territories. The war lasted over a month and resulted in Azerbaijan’s victory against the Armenia.

Azerbaijan got its independence from former USSR in 1991 and flourished in the initial years under the great leader late Heydar Aliyev whose footprints are being followed by his son President Ilham Aliyev and his countrymen. Azerbaijan is a vibrant country among the nations at the global level. The country is having an important geographical location and is socially and economically developed. It is among the economically fastest growing countries in the world and is becoming hub of international politics and a favorite tourist destination.

NAM Summit in Baku on March 02, 2023 provided an important platform for member states to come together and discuss the world’s challenges in the post-pandemic era. During the Summit, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted NAM’s contributions to the pandemic response, specifically focusing on developing a database for the pandemic needs of NAM member states. The meeting was attended by almost 70 heads of states and government representatives including important international organizations. The event was widely covered by local and international media. Journalists belonging to different countries and regions of the world physically covered the Baku moot. After the conclusion of NAM summit, a group of foreign journalists visited the liberated areas of Karabakh.

As Chairman of NAM, President Ilham Aliyev strongly advocated for promoting cooperation and collaboration among member states. In his speech, the President said that as the chairman of the NAM, it is the aim of Azerbaijan to defend justice and international law. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the principles of non-alignment, which are rooted in respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. President Ilham Aliyev suggested that one permanent seat should be given to the NAM, and the country holding the position of chair of the Movement should have this seat on a rotating basis. He said that we also support for the allocation of permanent seats for Africa in the Security Council.

Pakistan and Azerbaijan have maintained close relations after forming diplomatic relations. Both the countries have closely worked in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence and Pakistan was the second country to recognize its liberation.

Moreover, Pakistan had always supported Azerbaijan on the Karabakh conflict with Armenia at all international forums. Pakistan is the only country in the world which does not recognize Armenia. In April 1993, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council led by Pakistan was held, which unanimously adopted a resolution concerning the Karabakh conflict.

At the same time, Azerbaijan supports Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir dispute. Azerbaijan had always urged on the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. As per stance of the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by its commitments undertaken upon joining the UN, Azerbaijan always supports and stands for implementation of norms and principles of international law and UN Security Council resolutions in settlement of conflicts and maintenance of international peace and security. This is the firm and principled position of Azerbaijan. Keeping in view this stance, Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

It is worth to mention that Azerbaijan is also the member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. On the invitation of Azerbaijani government, a group of journalists from across the globe including Pakistan attended the NAM summit in Baku and other places in the first week of March. The media representatives of many countries visited Azerbaijan for the coverage of Summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku and Karabakh region on March 2-5, 2023.

Azerbaijan is presently carrying out the reconstruction process on large scale in the war-torn areas of Karabakh region. The foreign media persons visited different areas, which were liberated by Azerbaijan in 2020 from the occupation of Armenia. The Azerbaijani government is also engaged in rehabilitation process in Aghdam, Fuzuli, Shusha and other liberated areas.

Azerbaijan is holding the chairmanship of the NAM for the term 2019-2023. Earlier, Azerbaijan hosted the 18th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement on October 25-26, 2019 in Baku. The event was attended by high-level representatives of 120 UN member states and 42 international organizations. Azerbaijan assumed presidency of NAM in 2019.

A group of journalists on March 03, 2023, departed from Baku to war torn Aghdam district in Karabakh region. Foreign media representatives arrived in the village of Sarijali and were briefed about Armenia’s massive contamination of liberated territories with mines and demining works carried out by Azerbaijani government. The journalists also witnessed the reconstruction work carried out by Azerbaijan after the liberation of Aghdam city and other areas of the region. During their visit to Aghdam, journalists also witnessed the ongoing development process in the liberated areas and inspected the civic facilities, religious, cultural and historical monuments destroyed during the occupation, including the Imaret complex, the Alley of Martyrs and the Drama Theater.

The delegation of journalists later left for Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan and stayed there for night. Foreign journalists, who arrived in Azerbaijan to cover the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement’s Contact Group in response to COVID-19, on March 04, visited the places hit by missiles fired by Armenians in Ganja city. Media delegation visited Victory Park in Ganja. They were briefed by the local authorities that the Armenian Armed Forces deliberately fired on the Azerbaijani civilians and settlements by using heavy artillery. As a result, 26 people were killed in Ganja, including children, women and the elderly people while as 175 people were injured besides many civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged.

Later the journalists departed to Fuzuli city. After their arrival in Fuzuli, the foreign media men witnessed atrocities committed by Armenia in Fuzuli and other areas. All houses, social facilities, historical and cultural monuments were looted and destroyed by Armenians. The media persons were apprised about the atrocities and vandalism in Fuzuli city and surrounding areas. They were briefed regarding the restoration and reconstruction works carried out in the liberated territories by the Azerbaijani government.

The journalists also visited the Ashagi Kondalanchay reservoir in Fuzuli district. After the occupation of Fuzuli district by Armenian troops in 1993, exploitation of the reservoir by Azerbaijan became impossible. The Foreign Media persons visited the newly constructed Fuzuli International Airport which was built in a short span of time to cater the needs of liberated areas.

On March 04, foreign media delegation visited the cultural capital of Azerbaijan - the historical city of Shusha, which also remained under the occupation and was destroyed by the Armenians. Two centuries old historical mosques, a church and other monuments are being rebuilt in Shusha besides new infrastructure by the Azerbaijani government. On March 05, foreign media representatives left Shusha and covered peaceful protest of Azerbaijani eco-activists on Lachin-Khankendi road passing through Shusha over the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits located in the Azerbaijani territories. During the visit, foreign journalists were informed in detail about the goals of the peaceful protest. They also witnessed the free movement of the vehicles belonging to the Russian peacekeepers on the Lachin-Khankendi road. On the final stage of the visit, the journalists departed to Baku for their onward travel to their respective countries.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, in 2020, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity by winning the second Karabakh war without any external help and enforced the UN Security Council resolutions. Probably, it was the first case in the world since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945 that a country regained its territory.

Azerbaijan’s economy has grown manifold in the past decade resulting in the poverty alleviation and unemployment rate in the country. It is important to note that Azerbaijan has revitalized the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) after assuming its presidency. Azerbaijan’s efforts to strengthen the NAM and make it a vibrant international forum are visible now. During the last many years, Azerbaijan has achieved remarkable economic growth and it is actively playing its positive role at the global level.”