Azerbaijan backs Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday reaffirmed Baku's support for establishing an "independent and sovereign" Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital during talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Istanbul. The presidency said Aliyev expressed confidence the visit would strengthen fraternal relations between the nations.

Support for Palestinian statehood

Aliyev emphasized that "our country supports the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital," according to the presidential statement. Mustafa acknowledged that Palestine is currently in a "difficult situation" and expressed hope Palestinians would overcome it "with the help of friends." The Palestinian premier conveyed greetings from President Mahmoud Abbas during the meeting, the statement noted.

Humanitarian assistance and diplomatic presence

The talks addressed Azerbaijan's humanitarian support, including plans to construct a secondary school in Palestine and Baku's coverage of the Palestinian Embassy's operating expenses in the Azerbaijani capital. Officials described the opening of the Azerbaijani Representative Office in Ramallah as an "indicator of the high level of our bilateral relations," while recalling that Baku provided $5 million in financial assistance to Palestine following conferences hosted in 2013. The statement added that Azerbaijan also assists Palestine through the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Educational grants and agricultural cooperation

Mustafa expressed gratitude for the "Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant," which currently enables 23 Palestinian students to study in Azerbaijan out of a total of 37 grant recipients. The leaders also discussed exporting Palestinian agricultural products to Azerbaijan on preferential terms. Aliyev asked the premier to convey his greetings to President Mahmoud Abbas, the statement added.