(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Fatima Hasanova
On December 1, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met
with counterparts from Norway, Romania, and the Netherlands on the
fringes of the 29th Ministerial Council of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Polish Lodz, Azernews
reports, citing the press service of the Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at his meeting with Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra
discussed the Azerbaijani-Dutch bilateral cooperation agenda,
including the current situation in the South Caucasus.
The sides also outlined the potential for the development of
existing ties between the two countries, as well as the importance
of continuing the political dialogue.
Bayramov informed his colleague on the new regional realities
after the 44-day second Karabakh War, the normalization process
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Baku's peace efforts. He
noted that Armenia's provocations, including the landmine threat,
impede the peace process in the region.
On the same day, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with
Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.
The meeting discussed topical issues on the bilateral and
multilateral agenda, as well as the regional and international
situation.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that over the 30 years that have
passed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
two countries, relations have developed in various areas, such as
energy, in particular, the oil and gas industry.
The minister also informed his counterpart about the regional
situation in the post-conflict period, Azerbaijan's peacekeeping
efforts in the region, the provocations of the Armenian side, and
its failure to fulfill the obligations under the tripartite
statement of November 10, 2020, including the mine threat.
Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that the events held this year
to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries contributed to the further
expansion of cooperation. She stressed that Norway welcomes efforts
to reduce tensions and bring peace to the region. In particular,
the importance of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia was expressed.
Bayramov also met with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan
Aurescu.
Priority areas of the Azerbaijani-Romanian bilateral strategic
partnership, issues of cooperation in energy, transport, transit,
trade, and economic areas, as well as on multilateral platforms
were discussed in detail at the meeting. Satisfaction was expressed
with the growing number of visits and political dialogue between
countries.
Bayramov informed his Romanian counterpart about the current
situation in the region in the post-conflict period, the process of
normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as
steps taken by Azerbaijan towards the preparation of an agreement
on peace with Armenia. The minister drew attention to the existing
mine threat and its serious humanitarian consequences.
Minister Aurescu noted the great strategic partnership between
Azerbaijan and Romania, and the importance of further development
of practical cooperation in the energy and energy security
sectors.
As OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries Russia, the USA, and
France had been mediating a peaceful solution to the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile
cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Group's efforts resulted in
no progress as Armenia refused to abide by the UN Security Council
Resolutions (822, 853, 874, and 884) demanding the immediate and
unconditional withdrawal of its troops from Azerbaijani
territories, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the
conflict.
The trilateral ceasefire deal, signed by the Azerbaijani,
Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the
three-decade-long conflict over Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh
region, which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the
occupation of the Armenian armed forces in the war in the early
1990s.
On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian
leaders signed the second statement after the end of the 44-day
war. The newly-signed statement is set to implement clause 9 of the
November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic
and transport communications in the region.
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Tags: azerbaijan norway osce netherlands romania minsk group ministry of foreign affairs of azerbaijan jeyhun bayramov
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