Baku: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Heydar Aliyev met with President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku. During the meeting, they discussed ways to strengthen the longstanding relationship between Azerbaijan and the IsDB.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Al Jasser praised President Aliyev’s leadership in hosting COP29 and expressed the IsDB’s pride in its collaboration with Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the event’s success. The meeting included the signing of agreements for the Maiden Tower Climate Resilient Water Project in the Karabakh region, to which the IsDB is contributing $96.73 million.
Dr. Al-Jasser highlighted that the project would significantly enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen food and water security, and support social and economic development, thereby improving the livelihoods of local communities. The project is expected to benefit 1.6 million people by provid
ing climate-smart agricultural services and increasing water-use efficiency in agricultural production.
The initiative will establish an irrigation system for 8,400 hectares of cultivated land and improve water supply conditions for 252,000 hectares of agricultural land, marking a significant step towards sustainable development in the region.