BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Azerbaijan has supported 51 out of 57 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
He made the remark at the event High-Level Dialogue "Capacity Development over Aid" - AIDA-IsDB Partnership on International Technical Assistance for Resilience and Sustainable Development, organized within the framework of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group in Baku.
"Azerbaijan considers capacity building, knowledge and experience exchange, as well as supporting projects based on countries' own development priorities as the main approach to ensuring sustainability and sustainable development," the diplomat explained.
According to him, within the framework of international donor activities, Azerbaijan has provided financial, technical, and capacity-building support to 43 of the world's 44 least developed countries, 53 of the 54 countries of the African continent, as well as 51 of the 57 member states of the OIC.
"This broad geography of activities reflects our belief that sustainable development can be achieved through strengthening local potential, exchanging knowledge and experience, as well as supporting projects based on countries' own development priorities," said Rafiyev.
The deputy minister emphasized the expansion of cooperation between the Azerbaijan International Development Assistance Agency (AIDA) and the IsDB.
"Our joint activities are being developed in four main areas: digital innovations and information and communication technologies, health and vocational education, climate resilience, and humanitarian assistance. This cooperation is particularly focused on African countries, as well as Syria, Afghanistan, and other vulnerable states. We hope that today's discussions will contribute to the further development of the partnership and the identification of practical areas of cooperation," he noted.
Rafiyev also highlighted the role of Azerbaijani institutions operating in this direction.
"International interest in the ASAN service model, which has a long track record in providing citizen-oriented public services, is growing. The launch of the ASAN service center in Pakistan earlier this year is an important milestone, and we are pleased with the interest and cooperation shown by our Pakistani partners," he said.
Concurrently, the deputy minister stressed that the challenges facing developing countries vulnerable to climate change are no longer limited to climate issues.
"Many countries are simultaneously facing challenges such as development needs, lack of institutional capacity, humanitarian pressures, and increasing demand for sustainable public services," he said.
Rafiyev recalled that within the framework of COP29, Azerbaijan, together with its partners, launched the "Baku Call for Climate Action for Peace, Relief and Recovery."
"One of the main outcomes of this initiative was the establishment of the Baku Climate and Peace Action Center to provide practical partnerships, technical assistance, capacity building, and project development support to climate change-vulnerable countries," he noted.
According to him, the main goal of the center is to help countries translate national priorities into investment-ready projects.
"We understand that access to financial resources depends not only on the availability of funds, but also on the institutional capacity and technical knowledge required to develop quality projects," the deputy minister underscored.
Rafiyev cited the cooperation with Guinea-Bissau as a practical example of this approach.
"We have recently started practical cooperation with the government of Guinea-Bissau within the framework of the Baku Center, and we expect to achieve concrete results from this partnership in the near future," he said.
The official noted that one of the panels held within the framework of the event was dedicated to increasing access to climate and development finance through capacity building, institutional development, technical assistance, and partnerships.
"However, financing alone isn't enough. Therefore, the second panel will focus on the development of information technologies and management skills for the effective organization of public education and health services. Investments in digital transformation and strengthening institutional capacity not only improve the quality of services, but also strengthen the ability of states to respond to development and humanitarian challenges," he added.
According to Rafiyev, access to finance and the availability of institutional capacity to effectively use these funds are closely related factors.
"By strengthening these foundations simultaneously, it is possible to achieve more sustainable and long-term development results. Azerbaijan will continue its activities to promote practical cooperation, strengthen partnerships, and support solutions based on the needs of countries," he emphasized.
