The official opening ceremony of the First International Islamic Civilization Forum, held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, has taken place.

The opening ceremony, organized on July 7, began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur'an.

Afterward, an informational film about the Center for Islamic Civilization, where the forum is being held, was screened, and the address of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan to the forum participants was read out.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Allahshukur Pashazade first conveyed the warm wishes addressed to the forum participants by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

In his speech, the Sheikh ul-Islam spoke of the contributions Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have made to the development of Islamic civilization over the centuries. He stated that the Center for Islamic Civilization operating in Tashkent is a unique center that demonstrates, on a global scale, the unity of science, religion, and culture.

Allahshukur Pashazade noted in his speech that this center is an exemplary project in which the values Islamic culture has bestowed upon humanity are presented through the most modern technologies. Praising President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as the visionary behind the Center for Islamic Civilization, he placed special emphasis on his contributions to the promotion of Islam's humanist and moderate values.

The Sheikh ul-Islam also stated that President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has consistently supported the preservation of national and spiritual values, the promotion of Islam's peace-loving essence throughout the world, and the development of dialogue among different religions and cultures. According to him, President Ilham Aliyev is a political leader who consistently defends the interests of the Islamic world on international platforms and demonstrates a principled stance against Islamophobic tendencies.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board also touched upon the importance of cooperation among Muslim religious leaders within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. He said that the religious leaders stand ready to support the initiatives carried out by the heads of the organization's member states in the cultural and spiritual sphere.

Allahshukur Pashazade also provided information about the 7th meeting of the religious leaders of the Organization of Turkic States, to be held in Baku this September. He said that an international scholarly conference dedicated to the legacy of the eminent Islamic thinker Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi will also be organized within the framework of that gathering.

It should be noted that the First International Islamic Civilization Forum is being held on July 7–11 in the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. The forum is being held at the invitation of Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan is represented at the forum by Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board.