Baku stands for substantive Karabakh talks [UPDATE]

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan stands for substantive talks to change the existing status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is considered by the international community, member-states of the OSCE Minsk Group as unacceptable and inconsistent. 

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made this remark at a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze, as part of his official visit to Tbilisi on August 29. 

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

During the meeting, the ministers emphasized that the two countries support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other.

The sides further stressed that Azerbaijan and Georgia will continue cooperation and mutual support in international organizations, particularly in the UN and its divisions, GUAM, Council of Europe, European Union, and BSEC.

The meeting also noted the effective cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in the Southern Gas Corridor project, which will play an important role in ensuring energy security of Europe.

The two heads of the Foreign Ministries held an exchange of views on strengthening efforts for the speedy completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction, the intensification of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation  activities and discussed issues of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The ministers noted that the parliamentary relations are important component of the wide encompassing cooperation. In the regard, the relationship between the parliaments of the two countries, mutual visits at the level of Speakers of Parliament and activities of inter-parliamentary Working Groups were mentioned. They stated that the legal base of the two countries cooperation is comprehensive. Around 110 different documents have been signed between the two countries. For expansion of bilateral legal-treaty framework 15 documents are under consideration.

At the meeting the sides reviewed the issues such as advancing the cooperation in the areas of education, culture, youth, health, environment, tourism and sports, holding mutual cultural days and developing joint tourist routes, as well. They also touched upon the issues of mutual visits and joint programs of state news agencies and media representatives of the two countries.

During the visit, Mammadyarov will also have a meeting with Chairman of the Parliament David Usupashvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.