The official opening ceremony of the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States was held in Baku on June 24.

Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, read out the address of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the participants of the session.

Subsequently, the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) was handed over from Indonesia to Azerbaijan.

In her video address, Puan Maharani, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Indonesia, noted that the OIC has made a significant contribution to advancing dialogue, peace, and sustainable development among its member states over the years. She expressed her gratitude to Azerbaijan for the excellent organization of the conference.

In her remarks, Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, said: “As President Ilham Aliyev has noted, the development of relations with Muslim countries — both on a bilateral basis and within the framework of our common organizations — is one of the priority directions of our country’s foreign policy. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its member states have always expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan, both during the occupation of our territories and after the conflict.”

She noted that over the past 30 years, the OIC and the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) have adopted numerous decisions and resolutions condemning Armenia’s aggression and supporting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis emphasized that Azerbaijan has hosted numerous events and undertaken various initiatives aimed at promoting Islamic culture and demonstrating the true essence of Islam as a religion of peace and mercy.

Addressing the event, Mouhamed Khouraichi Niass, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), expressed his deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for his patronage of the conference aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the Islamic world.

“This is a vivid example of the importance President Ilham Aliyev attaches to Islamic cooperation. At the same time, it once again demonstrates Baku’s reliable and active role in hosting large-scale international events,” the PUIC Secretary General said.

Niass noted that this landmark event was taking place during an extremely complex period, when the international justice system is facing deepening divisions and the Islamic world is confronting serious challenges. He emphasized that devastating wars are exhausting populations and directly undermining global food security and energy supplies, making it imperative to reject all forms of conflict and warfare. He stressed that dialogue remains the most effective tool for resolving disagreements.

Following the opening remarks, the participants approved the report of the OIC Secretary-General and reviewed other issues on the agenda.

Parliamentary speakers from OIC member states also emphasized the growing role of parliaments in addressing increasing global challenges.