Since May 30, a delegation led by the Chairman of the State Committee on Religious Associations (SCRA) Mubariz Gurbanli has been on a visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Within the visit, the Chairman of the State Committee Mubariz Gurbanli has met with Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh in the city of Jeddah.

At the meeting, providing the Minister detailed information on exemplary relations between the state and religion in Azerbaijan, activities of the State Committee, SCRA Chairman has said that the sphere of religion has constantly been under special attention and care in Azerbaijan and successful policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev aims to preserve freedom of religion, create equal opportunities for all religious communities in the country, and to further strengthen our country’s centuries-old tradition of tolerance, national and moral values of our people, unity in Islam.

The Chairman has said that 995 religious communities have been registered by the State of which 958 of them Islamic and 37 non-Islamic and the state constantly allocates financial aid to support the activities of religious communities, adding there are 16 churches and 7 synagogues in Azerbaijan.

Mr. Gurbanli has emphasized the foundation of relations between Azerbaijan- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia laid by National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s official visit in 1994 and that the relations between the two countries are developing further under President’s Ilham Aliyev’s policy.

The Minister has noted the reforms carried out in his country, development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all fields, such as humanitarian, religious and spiritual spheres, including cooperation within the OIC, and shared his views on steps taken to combat religious extremist tendencies and to ensure interfaith unity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Within the meeting, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Shahin Abdullayev attended the meeting and M.Gurbanly gave interviews to local TV channels after the meeting.

The visit is carried out based on the agreement between State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on cooperation in the field of Islamic issues in line with the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic, Trade, Investment, Technical, Cultural, Sports and Youth Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia December 15, 2021 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.