13:57 - 18.06.2026

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June 18, Fineko/abc.az. On June 18, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a high-level delegation comprising the heads of member institutions of the Arab Coordination Group.

According to ABC.AZ, the visiting delegation includes Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group; Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa, President of the OPEC Fund for International Development; Abdullah Khalil Al-Musaibih, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; Dr. Fahad Al-Turki, Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund; Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development; Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraid, Executive Director of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries Development Program; Tamer Al-Failakawi, Director of Operations at the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development; Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Yaqoub Al-Rifai, Minister of Finance of the State of Kuwait; Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance of the State of Qatar; and Ali Abdullah Al Sharafi, Assistant Undersecretary for International Financial Relations at the Ministry of Finance of the United Arab Emirates.

The Head of State emphasized the paramount importance of the presence of the senior leadership from the Arab Coordination Group's member entities at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group held in Baku.

Highlighting Azerbaijan's highly active cooperation framework with the member structures of the Arab Coordination Group, President Ilham Aliyev underlined that numerous joint projects are currently underway. The Head of State also touched upon the strategic significance of the legal documents slated for signature during the forum.

Expressing his deep gratification for visiting Azerbaijan, IsDB Group Chairman Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, speaking on behalf of the delegation, extended his appreciation to President Ilham Aliyev for the warm reception.

The guest highly praised the consistent support rendered by the Head of State toward expanding multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the institution he leads.

During the meeting, both sides stressed the existence of robust avenues for deepening partnerships between Azerbaijan and the member entities of the Arab Coordination Group. Furthermore, the parties highlighted the pivotal role of Azerbaijan’s favorable investment climate in successfully executing joint large-scale infrastructure projects.

Following the bilateral discussions, a Loan Agreement on the construction project of the new Sumgayit Wastewater Treatment Plant was officially signed in the presence of the President of Azerbaijan. Additionally, the parties exchanged the signed "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Azerbaijan Water Resources Agency, and members of the Arab Coordination Group on expanding cooperation for the construction project of water supply and sanitation systems across 33 settlements on the Absheron Peninsula."

Subsequently, the Head of State presented the prestigious "Dostlug" (Friendship) Order to the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser.

Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser expressed his profound gratitude to the Head of State for this high recognition of his institutional efforts.

It is worth noting that Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser was conferred with this state order pursuant to the relevant Decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, honoring his outstanding contributions to fostering financial cooperation and developmental ties between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Development Bank.