State Committee holds meeting with representatives of US State Department

Gunduz Ismayilov, the deputy chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, met with Jason McLarney, the deputy ambassador for international religious freedoms and special assignments of the International Religious Freedom Office of the US State Department, Azernews reports.

Speaking about the environment of tolerance and solidarity in our country, the vice-chairman said that protecting and strengthening this environment, ensuring people's religious freedom at a high level, and establishing religious security is one of the state's main tasks. In Azerbaijan, all religious denominations are covered with comprehensive attention and care, and necessary conditions have been created for all religious communities that do not spread harmful religious ideas and do not operate in a way that harms inter-religious relations. Also, every year financial assistance is allocated from the state budget to both Islamic and non-Islamic religious communities to support the activities of the existing religious denominations in the country. Gunduz Ismayilov emphasized that today Azerbaijan is the leading state of the region not only due to its socio-economic success, and military-political potential but also due to the provision of freedom of conscience and multicultural environment, protection of traditions of tolerance formed over centuries, as well as restoration of historical and religious monuments.

During the meeting, the vice-chairman, who also touched on the 2023 report of the US State Department on International Religious Freedom, pointed out that the realities of Azerbaijan have been distorted.

Expressing his gratitude for the detailed information, the guest shared his views on the registration and activity of religious institutions, as well as other relevant issues.

A number of other issues of interest to the parties were also discussed at the meeting, which was attended by Sonya Fernandes, advisor for Eastern and Southern European countries of the BSAI, Diana Brown, advisor on political issues of the US ambassador to Azerbaijan, and officials of the State Committee.