Baku/Anadolu

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during his reception of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Baku, affirmed his country's support for establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

According to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency on Thursday, Aliyev received the Palestinian prime minister, who is visiting Baku for a series of meetings.

Aliyev stressed that Mustafa's visit will contribute to strengthening brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Palestine, and reiterated his country's support for establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

For his part, Mustafa noted that Palestine is still going through difficult circumstances, expressing confidence that this phase can be overcome with the support of friendly countries.

He also thanked the Azerbaijani president for the support his country provides to Palestine, and for the initiative to build a preparatory school in the Palestinian territories as part of humanitarian aid.

During the meeting, the two sides noted that the opening of a representative office for Azerbaijan in Ramallah, and Azerbaijan's covering of the expenses of the Palestinian embassy in Baku, reflect the advanced level of relations between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of exporting some Palestinian agricultural products to Azerbaijan, and exchanged views on other issues of common interest.