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Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov holds bilateral meetings in Athens

02 December 2009 09:36 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov held several bilateral meetings in Athens, where he attended the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council. Mammadyarov met with his Latvian counterpart Maris Reikstints. The sides highly appreciated the current state of Azerbaijan-Latvian cooperation and emphasized the importance of intensification of the political, economic, humanitarian and other relations for further deepening of the ties. The sides also noted the importance of the development of relations between the two countries within the Azerbaijani-EU relations and emphasized purposefulness of use of opportunities created by the Eastern Partnership initiative. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Eastern Partnership expectations related particularly to raising of living standards in the country to the European level and emphasized the usefulness of technical programs for that purpose. The ministers discussed the regional affairs, particularly the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Minister Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan would never reconcile with the occupation of its lands and added that the conflict could be solved only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Mammadyarov held his next meeting with the Special Representative of the OSCE PA on Nagorno Karabakh conflict Goran Lenmarker. They discussed current situation over the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Minister Mammadyarov said there was a fact of occupation of the Azerbaijani lands and emphasized the importance of withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani lands as a positive step in the preliminary phase. Goran Lenmarker shared his opinion and noted the necessity of liberation of the Azerbaijani lands and return of displaced Azerbaijani people to their homeland. Lenmarker pointed out that Azerbaijan is becoming powerful and leading country of the region. He emphasized Azerbaijanâ€™s exclusive role in the development and prosperity of entire region.
Then Mammadyarov met with the Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet. They emphasized the role of high-ranking visits in the strengthening of cooperation and said the EU Eastern Partnership initiative created useful opportunities for implementation of concrete projects between the two countries. Minister Mammadyarov said Estoniaâ€™s experience for securing of European standards gained after the collapse of USSR would be useful for Azerbaijan. Minister Urmas Paet said Estonia was ready for cooperation in the above-mentioned phrase.

Elmar Mammadyarov also met with the Slovakian foreign minister Miroslav Lajchak. The ministers discussed the current state and prospects of the development of relations between the two countries and emphasized the development of relations in both bilateral format and within the European Union. They also emphasized the importance of official visits for the extension of cooperation. Minister Mammadyarov invited his Slovakian counterpart to official visit to Azerbaijan. Miroslav Lajchak thanked him and said he accepted the invitation. The sides agreed to schedule the visit via diplomatic channels. The ministers also discussed the architecture of European security and said the existing conflict should be solved only on the basis of norms and principles of international law.