Azerbaijan, Baku, September 26 / Trend News, U.Sadikhova /

Azerbaijan supports the efforts to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said, making a speech at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference in New York, the Ministry said.

"The situation in Palestine and the issue of Jerusalem remain a topical issue for the Islamic society and members of the OIC must act with single position in this regard in the international community, Mammadyarov said. - Azerbaijan supports the efforts of the Palestinian people towards creating an independent and sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital".

"We must be ready to respond to such challenges as the fight against extremism, as well as terrorism and religious fanaticism," said Mammadyarov.

According to him, Azerbaijan intends to continue to cooperate with the Organization of Islamic Conference, and has applied for hosting the summit of the OIC in 2014 in Baku.

Azerbaijan also hopes that the OIC member countries, which are represented in the UN Security Council, would support Azerbaijan's candidacy for non-permanent membership in the Security Council in 2012-2013, he added.

Non-permanent membership of Azerbaijan will be discussed at the meeting of the 66th session of UN General Assembly in 2011.

Mammadyarov said that the decisions and resolutions of the OIC on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been very useful for the formation of approach by the international community, as well as the UN General Assembly and Security Council on the issue of occupation of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

According to Mammadyarov, Azerbaijan supports resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the international law and principles, UN resolutions and the OIC and OSCE documents, and hopes for continuing support of the OIC.