Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Meets President of Azerbaijan

His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, met with His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, upon his visit to Baku to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

The Grand Imam expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 and the Global Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate, commending the distinguished organization of these pivotal events while wishing that the efforts of the leaders and scholars participating in the conference would bear fruit in addressing one of the gravest threats to humanity: climate change. He also referenced last year’s signing of the “Call of Conscience: Abu Dhabi Joint Declaration for Religious Leaders on Climate” and the launch of the “Faith Pavilion” at COP28, which established a global platform for interfaith dialogue on climate issues.

His Eminence also noted the significance of his visit coinciding with the designation of Shusha as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2024, which, he said, reminds the Islamic world of the importance of regaining its role in the new global order. He emphasized the need to draw from the rich heritage of Islamic civilization to achieve comprehensive progress across various fields. He noted that the first step toward such advancement is unity, highlighting the efforts of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders in promoting Islamic unity, particularly through the upcoming intra-Islamic dialogue conference in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This conference aims to foster dialogue between different Islamic schools of thought, notably Sunni and Shia, with the goal of creating a unified Islamic voice on contemporary challenges facing the Muslim world.

The Grand Imam also reaffirmed Al-Azhar’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan to achieve common objectives and to enhance collaborative efforts between the Muslim Council of Elders and the Caucasus Muslims Board to benefit the Muslims of Azerbaijan.

President Aliyev expressed his gratitude to the Grand Imam for accepting his invitation to participate in COP29, commending his work in promoting global peace, fraternity, and tolerance. He affirmed that the Grand Imam’s visit to Azerbaijan contributes significantly to strengthening relations, especially in interfaith dialogue. The president praised the ongoing efforts of Al-Azhar and the Muslim Council of Elders to achieve unity within the Islamic world, acknowledging that the intra-Islamic dialogue conference in Bahrain represents a key step toward fostering cohesion and unity among Muslims. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is keen to participate actively in this important Islamic event.