(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 23
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
A delegation headed by Speaker of Azerbaijan's Parliament Sahiba Gafarova met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on September 23, Trend reports citing the Parliament.
Welcoming the Parliament's speaker and its delegation, Sergei Lavrov expressed confidence that the visit would be a valuable contribution to the further development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations
'The Russian side highly appreciates the fact that the delegation of the newly elected Azerbaijani Parliament made one of the first visits abroad to Russia. Generally, such visits to Russia by high-ranking government officials, including the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, are very important in terms of exchanging views on issues of mutual interest,' Lavrov said.
Lavrov noted that during the talks with Azerbaijani officials, it was decided to intensify joint efforts to resolve issues raised during the telephone conversation between the presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, adding that Russia intends to further deepen relations with Azerbaijan in all spheres, including diplomacy.
Russian FM considered important the relations of the Azerbaijani Parliament with the State Duma of the Federation Council of Russia, the participation of our delegations in international parliamentary organizations.
Azerbaijani Parliament's speaker said that Azerbaijani-Russian relations have centuries-old traditions and have always been distinguished by their characteristic features.
'Close cooperation has been formed between Azerbaijan and Russia, which is one of the first countries to recognize our independence, which over the years has risen to the level of strategic partnership. Regular contacts and trusting relations between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin give dynamics to our relations, which can be characterized as relations of strategic partners,' emphasized Gafarova.
'Along with the ideal political dialogue, economic relations continue to develop dynamically between our countries. Russia is one of the main trade partners of our country,' Gafarova said.
Focusing on the rapid expansion of the geography of interregional cooperation between the two countries, the speaker noted that Azerbaijan is actively cooperating with the subjects of Russia - Dagestan and Tatarstan, Astrakhan, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Ulyanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd and other regions.
Gafarova noted that the parliaments of the two countries also play an important role in the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.
'Relations between the Parliament of Azerbaijan and the Federal Assembly of Russia, based on the provisions of the Cooperation Agreement dated January 9, 2001, are becoming more dynamic. The national parliamentary delegations of Azerbaijan and Russia traditionally support each other on the most important and topical issues and successfully interact within various international organizations,' said the speaker.
Friendship groups operate in the Parliament and the Federal Assembly, and there is a permanent bilateral inter-parliamentary commission between the structures, Gafarova said.
She stressed that Azerbaijan is the country with the largest number of ethnic Russians in the South Caucasus, adding that there is a solid legal base between the two countries, consisting of more than 200 bilateral documents.
These include the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Security between Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Baku Declaration on Friendship and Strategic Cooperation, Gafarova added.
'The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continues to create serious obstacles to any development in the region. Azerbaijan is committed to resolving the conflict peacefully. The conflict must be resolved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan on the basis of the UN Charter, the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Helsinki Final Act,' the speaker noted.
'In general, amid the ineffective activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, being the co-chair of this group, actively participates in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Russian side has made great efforts in this direction. Along with this, the absurd statements recently voiced by Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan about "seven conditions", which, being a variant of a compromise, can be discussed with the condition that Azerbaijan recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination, frustrate all efforts of the world community to resolve the conflict peacefully,' Gafarova noted.
Also, Pashinyan's statements on the accession of Nagorno-Karabakh "authorities" to the negotiation process cannot be criticized enough, Gafarova stressed.
In connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Lavrov said that Russia, as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, supports the solution of the problem and spares no effort in this area.
The words of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan about Nagorno-Karabakh create obstacles on the way to the process of the conflict settlement, this is Moscow's official position, Lavrov stressed.
Gafarova expressed her confidence that Russia, as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will do everything possible to mediate for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Further, during the meeting, other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
The visit of the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan to Russia continues.
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