Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Meets Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Emphasizing the Importance of Religious Leaders in Advancing Climate Action

His Excellency Ali Asadov, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, received Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, on Wednesday. The pair discussed ways to enhance the role of religious leaders in addressing global challenges, with climate change at the forefront.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan expressed his country’s appreciation for the efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders, led by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in promoting dialogue and uniting the voices of religious leaders to confront the climate crisis. He noted Azerbaijan’s participation in co-hosting the Global Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate, which will be held in Baku, and in organizing the Faith Pavilion at COP29—a pioneering step to enhance interfaith dialogue on climate issues. He further highlighted that peaceful coexistence among people of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religions is a way of life in Azerbaijan's society, with multiculturalism and tolerance having become one of the main pillars of Azerbaijan's modern state policy.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders expressed his appreciation for the Republic of Azerbaijan’s hosting of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate, which reflects a deep-seated belief in the importance of the religious voice in promoting joint efforts to address global challenges, particularly climate issues. He also extended his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan for his support of the summit, praising Azerbaijan as a leading example of pluralism, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and Islamic solidarity, as well as its proactive stance in combating climate change.