Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that more than 140 countries have benefited from Azerbaijan’s international assistance over the past 15 years.

Axar.az reports that, speaking at a conference titled “Promoting Global Solidarity through Cooperation for Humanitarian Support and Development,” dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the International Development Aid Agency, the minister noted that Azerbaijan’s rapid economic development under President Ilham Aliyev since the 2000s has created the necessary economic and institutional foundations for systematically implementing an international aid policy, transforming Azerbaijan from a recipient country into a donor country.

“Over the past 15 years, more than 140 countries have benefited from Azerbaijan’s international assistance. They include all 54 African countries, 111 of the 121 Non-Aligned Movement member states, 52 of the 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, 43 of the 44 least developed countries, and 28 of the 39 small island developing states,” he said.

According to the minister, approximately $400 million has been allocated since 2020 through bilateral and multilateral aid mechanisms.

“Azerbaijan’s activities in this area have covered various fields. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Azerbaijan provided assistance to 88 countries. In Africa, our cooperation has included support in the fight against the Ebola epidemic, as well as an initiative to combat preventable blindness. As part of this initiative, more than 900,000 people underwent eye examinations and more than 150,000 cataract surgeries were performed. Efforts have also been made to strengthen the professional capacity of local medical specialists,” the foreign minister added.