“Azerbaijan is the bearer of European values. I have been once again convinced at a meeting with representatives of civil society. We hope that more European values will be paplied in Azerbaijan,” said at a press conference in Baku, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.
The German minister said that Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the CE Committee of Ministers can be used to progress in this direction.
He noted the importance of the strategic importance of Azerbaijan in Germany, as a country which plays a role of a bridge between East and West. Germany has the second in Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce in the region after Russia with 140 members. Steinmeier also noted the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor, which opens up prospects for bilateral cooperation.
However, Steinmeier said that the unresolved Karabakh conflict causes concern in Berlin from the point of view of perspectives of Europe.
He expressed hope that the meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia appointed for October 27 in Paris will contribute to mitigating position, and ultimately will lead to a sustainable solution.
Steinmeier also said that the new EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus is an experienced German diplomat, and Berlin supports in this matter the EU's efforts to resolve the conflicts in the region.
In turn, Mammadyarov said that during the talks the sides exchanged views on current international issues: the situation in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Ukraine.
Responding to a question from the German journalist, Mammadyarov said that sometimes the German press published ordered critical articles about Azerbaijan. According to him, some forces manifest "double standards" in Azerbaijan. According to him, during the presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan undertook activities, both in the field of human rights and in the fight against corruption.
In turn, a local journalist asked the German Minister why he does not talk about the facts of the arrest of journalists in Germany and the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations. Steinmeier replied that uch statements are a lie. Germany is one of the most liberal countries. There is freedom of assembly and expression, and the police may intervene only in the case of violence, he said. -03C06-
Politics
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