Baku, London praise bilateral cooperation

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani and British parliamentarians have hailed the development of relations between the two countries.

Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ogtay Asadov met British Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy, House of Lords member Lord Risby on October 8, AzerTag news agency reported.

Asadov praised political and economic relations between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. He said the inter-parliamentary cooperation contributed to the development of these ties, and stressed the importance of reciprocal visits and meetings.

Lord Risby, for his part, hailed cooperation between the two countries in a variety of fields. He also lauded success and economic development of Azerbaijan.

The sides also considered ways to further develop cooperation between the two countries on various fronts.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also met Lord Risby to discuss bilateral issues, regional and global matters as well.

They praised Azerbaijan-Great Britain relations, saying there was big potential for boosting the ties even further.

Mammadyarov briefed Lord Risby on grave consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the state of negotiations to solve the problem.

Lord Risby praised Azerbaijan`s achievements, saying the country had open vision and strategic course for future development.

The sides stressed the importance of regional projects initiated by and involving Azerbaijan, particularly a recent ground-breaking ceremony of the Southern Gas Corridor in the country.

Earlier, the delegation led by Lord Risby was received by President Ilham Aliyev.

The parties expressed their satisfaction with the level of Azerbaijani-British bilateral relations. It was noted that these relations were expanding and had good prospects.

The UK recognized Azerbaijan's independence in December, 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in March, 1992.

Azerbaijan and the UK have benefitted from close bilateral partnership and cooperation since 1992, in the framework of international organizations such as the United Nations, OSCE, Council of Europe, and NATO. The relations have covered a wide range of issues, from high-level political dialogue to growing trade and investment, as well as strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.

Economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the energy sector, is at the core of the relations between Azerbaijan and the UK. The UK is the largest foreign direct investor in Azerbaijan, followed by the U.S. and Japan.

Azerbaijan cooperates with the UK in the exploration and transportation of oil and natural gas from the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea.

/AzerNews/