Ilham Aliyev and Sergey Lavrov Discuss Karabakh Settlement

Baku / 03.12.19 / Turan: The Karabakh settlement was one of the topics of the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Baku on December 2.

Welcoming the guest, Aliyev said that the outgoing year "was very successful for our relations." “We have made significant progress in many areas, strengthened political interaction, and actively supported each other in international organizations. I must say that the Azerbaijani delegation in full force voted for the return of Russia to PACE and thereby expressed solidarity. Also, we always feel support from the Russian Federation on issues that concern us in international structures,” the President said.

He also called the official visit of Mehriban Aliyeva to Russia successful.

In economic terms, the year was also successful, Aliyev added. In his opinion, according to the results of the year, the growth in trade turnover will be approximately 25 percent.

“Of course, within the framework of the visit, we will talk about the problems of resolving the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, there were no visible results in this direction. I believe that the main reason for this is the counterproductive policy of the Armenian leadership, especially the statement that Karabakh is Armenia. And I am glad that both on your part and on the part of the co-chairs from other countries the correct assessment was given to this strange, to put it mildly, statement. But we will continue cooperation with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group. In the near future a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will be held. We will look forward to continuing your active participation in the negotiation process,” Aliyev continued.

In turn, Lavrov, expressing satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations, noted that their agenda was added with a new topic - innovation and high technology, and in the near future a special “road map” will be created in this direction. And in just a few days, the intergovernmental commission will consider the state of affairs in this area.

According to Lavrov, by the end of the year, trade will be under $ 3 billion. Direct investments of the Russian Federation in the Azerbaijani economy amounted to $ 1.5 billion, more than 70 constituent entities of the Russian Federation participate in cooperation with Azerbaijan, and there are more than 300 enterprises with the participation of Russian capital, and in Russia, too, Azerbaijani capital is strengthening its position. “Another interesting and very important, I think, result of Mehriban Arifovna Aliyeva’s visit to the Russian Federation is an agreement to make the Youth Forum of Russia and Azerbaijan more regular. This is fundamentally important from the point of view of continuity, from the point of view of preserving the historical memory and upbringing of our young generations both in Russia and in Azerbaijan in the spirit of friendship and good neighborliness, which has always been inherent in our relations,” Lavrov continued.

Concerning the Karabakh settlement, he expressed interest in “the agreements on confidence-building measures, humanitarian contacts, and media contacts that were reached at the Vienna summit and then were reaffirmed at the ministerial meeting in Moscow this year so that they come to life. “They are gradually being implemented and I hope that the upcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia this week will allow us to consolidate these processes,” Lavrov said.

He agreed with Aliyev that “with respect to a political settlement, a long-term settlement, much remains to be done.” “And here I absolutely support your thesis that rhetoric that is contrary to the fundamental principles approved by both parties, the principles that are enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, must be avoided,” Lavrov said.   -06В-