Home / Politics / Baku prepared for cooperation with Yerevan to bolster regional peace, security – minister

Baku prepared for cooperation with Yerevan to bolster regional peace, security – minister

Jeyhun Bayramov

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has reiterated Azerbaijan’s commitment to cooperation with Armenia to bolster regional peace and security, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

Bayramov made the remark at the 132nd session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Turin, Italy on May 20.

The minister emphasized that Azerbaijan adheres to international norms of law and principles, such as state sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized boundaries, and that these principles are the foundation of international peace, security, and stability.

Further, Bayramov briefed the participants in the meeting on the current regional situation and the steps taken to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The top diplomat stated that Azerbaijan continues its efforts to improve ties with Armenia, noting that the April 6 meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Brussels, which was mediated and attended by the President of the EU Council, had a positive impact on the process.

Following the meeting, the foreign ministers of the two countries were instructed to start drafting a peace agreement, and agreed to establish a Joint Border Commission on delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries, he added.

Welcoming the organization of a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian civil society representatives at the initiative of the Council of Europe Secretary-General, Bayramov underlined that the organization could contribute to the implementation of confidence-building measures between the two nations that are vital to this effect.

Among the problems Azerbaijan is facing, the minister named the threat of landmines and the lack of information about 4,000 citizens, who went missing during the war in the early 1990s.

Bayramov called on the international community to actively support and contribute to overcoming these problems for the sake of lasting peace and stability in the region.

Noting that Azerbaijan is committed to cooperation with the member states and bodies of the Council of Europe, the minister noted that during the visit of the secretary-general to Azerbaijan in April 2022, cooperation with Azerbaijan was widely discussed.

The Council of Europe presented a new action plan for Azerbaijan in 2022-2025 that has laid a new foundation for joint action.

The minister said that during the presidency of Ireland, Azerbaijan will continue its results-oriented cooperation in line with the priorities of the Council of Europe on the basis of common values.

Bayramov congratulated Italy on the successful completion of its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and expressed Azerbaijan’s support for the future presidency of Ireland.

In a similar development, Bayramov and his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in the political and economic spheres, and exchanged views on regional and international security issues on the margins of the event, the ministry said in a separate report.

The ministers highlighted the high-level relations and political dialogue, adding that there is huge potential for further development of relations in economic, trade, humanitarian, and other fields.

They also stressed the importance of the Energy Forum to be held in Baku on June 1-3, 2022, as well as the role of Azerbaijan in ensuring Europe’s energy security.

About Fidan Abdullayeva