The president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev called on member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to refrain from developing ties with Armenia because of its continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

President Aliyev launched the appeal in his article "Strengthening of Islamic solidarity – an imperative of time", published in the 36th edition of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation journal.

After reminding readers of the role that Islam has had in Azerbaijan’s development in recent years, including the Soviet period up through current times, the Azerbaijani president brought up a number of challenges that the Islamic world is facing now a days.

“We have to admit that today the Islamic world is facing serious challenges and numerous problems, which await a solution. The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Palestine and Kashmir problems, conflicts in the Middle East states, refugee crisis, etc. can be singled out among these problems”, the article reads.

The article continues focusing on Armenia.

“It is a well-known fact over the past 200 years the Armenians have committed bloody crimes in order to occupy Azerbaijan`s historic lands and build their own state in those territories”.

President Aliyev underlined that both the UN and the OIC resolution recognised Armenia as an aggressor and that Muslim countries should keep this in mind before forging deeper relations with Armenia.

“The UN and OIC resolutions, which clearly recognize Armenia as an aggressor, must be the main message to all Muslim countries that want to develop relations with the invader because Armenia`s policy of occupation is an attack not only on Azerbaijan`s religious and cultural assets, but on the historic and cultural legacy of Islam in general”, Aliyev writes.

In addition, the article emphasizes that Pakistan does not recognize Armenia as a state, while Saudi Arabia and Turkey have refrained from developing a relationship with Armenia.

“We consider all this an example of a brotherly relationship and real support”, Aliyev surmises.

Azerbaijan is hosting the Games of Islamic Solidarity from May 12 -22 this year.