Baku Summit of Non-Aligned Movement Contact Group in response to COVID-19 ends
Baku, March 3, AZERTAC
A closing session of the Summit-level Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Contact Group in response to COVID-19 has been held in Baku.
Speaking at the closing session chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, representative of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front for the independence of New Caledonia Mickael Forrest took the opportunity to participate in the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement to condemn France's colonial position. He said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in December 2021, New Caledonia was forced to hold a third referendum on the island under pressure from France. He emphasized the importance of creating conditions for dialogue in order for the population to regain full sovereignty as part of the activities of the decolonization committee.
“As you may know, the Pacific Ocean region is also a geostrategic region for the great powers of the world. The Non-Aligned Movement is an important platform for us in terms of continuing to inform countries of the world about the situation in our country. We are hopeful that the day will come when New Caledonia regains its sovereignty and independence,” Forrest Mikael Jozept said, noting that he appreciated Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Other speakers included Mexican Ambassador to Azerbaijan Maria Victoria Romero Caballero, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Olga Algayerova, Director General of the International Organization for Migration António Vitorino, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Khusrav Noziri and Chairman of the Youth Network of the Non-Aligned Movement Ordukhan Gahramanzada. The speakers noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the importance of multilateral cooperation. It was noted that all countries could ensure stability through cooperation. For this reason, the Non-Aligned Movement is a suitable platform for discussing such global issues.
It was also noted that the pandemic had deepened inequalities related to migrants and displaced persons, and created serious problems for them. In addition, a third of the world's population has yet to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. He pointed out that the world is not insured against new pandemics in the future, so people should be prepared for potential pandemics in the future and the difficulties they may cause.
The speakers also emphasized that during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, the Movement had taken steps towards a number of innovations and expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement.
In the end, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov expressed his deep gratitude to the participants of the Summit and noted that regardless of history, politics and culture, the members of the Movement were united around the same principles. The FM emphasized that this Summit had become a real example of solidarity, cooperation and multilateralism. On the sidelines of the Summit, effective meetings and discussions were held on issues on the bilateral agenda.
Jeyhun Bayramov also underlined that during its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan had demonstrated leadership in solving a number of current issues on the international agenda. According to him, although Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the organization ends this year, the country's assistance to the Non-Aligned Movement and extensive cooperation with it would be continued.
The Baku Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement Contact Group in response to COVID-19 ended with the adoption of a document on the results of the meeting.
