Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, 6 May 2026 - H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, today received H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, for high-level talks aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the IsDB Group ahead of a landmark gathering in the Azerbaijani capital.

The meeting comes at a pivotal moment as the Republic of Azerbaijan prepares to host the 2026 IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku from 16 to 19 June 2026, under the theme “Regional Integration for Sustainable Prosperity.”

During the meeting, President Aliyev expressed his appreciation for the IsDB Group’s outstanding partnership and the special relationship Azerbaijan has enjoyed with the Bank since becoming a member in 1992.

For his part, Dr. Al Jasser reaffirmed the long-standing strategic partnership between the IsDB Group and Azerbaijan. This collaboration has delivered approximately USD 1.8 billion in development financing across agriculture, water resources, energy, transport, and financial services over more than three decades.

The IsDB Group Chairman reiterated the Bank’s firm commitment to supporting Azerbaijan’s Vision 2030 through broader and deeper engagement by the IsDB Group and its private sector institutions. This commitment, he noted, would culminate in the upcoming IsDB Group Member Country Partnership Strategy for Azerbaijan (2027-2031) – an ambitious framework expected to expand cooperation across key areas, including economic diversification, regional integration, infrastructure, Islamic finance, and sustainable development.

Dr. Al Jasser commended President Aliyev and the Government of Azerbaijan for the excellent preparations underway for the Annual Meetings and expressed confidence in the country’s capacity to organize a successful event. He stressed that the meetings would serve as an important platform to strengthen cooperation among member countries, advance dialogue on shared development priorities, and showcase Azerbaijan’s impressive economic transformation since the IsDB Group last held its Annual Meetings in Baku in 2010.