Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan has determined the compositions of its own delegation for the development of a peace treaty and of a national commission for the delimitation and demarcation of the border with Armenia, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov made the remarks in an online meeting of the Council of Heads of the Governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on May 20.

The prime minister briefed the participants in the meeting on the post-conflict situation in the region and stressed that the conflict was left in the past, reiterating Azerbaijan's commitment to peace, stability, and predictability.

"Our policy is very open and clear. We are open for a constructive dialogue, joint work to turn the South Caucasus into a region of peace, cooperation, and interaction," he said.

Asadov also pointed out that Armenia has accepted the five-point basic principles initiated by Azerbaijan for making peace.

"The 5-point principles are the basis of international law and are consistent with the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act," he said.

He noted that by showing maximum constructivism and goodwill, Azerbaijan is ready to normalize relations with Armenia, sign a peace agreement and carry out the border delimitation.

Further, Asadov noted that Azerbaijan expects complete fulfillment by Armenia of the obligations undertaken within the framework of the trilateral statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia. In this regard, he expressed Azerbaijan's concern over the non-fulfillment of Paragraph 4 of the trilateral statement that calls for the withdrawal of the Armenian armed formations from the Azerbaijani territory.

The prime minister also emphasized that despite the ongoing meetings within the trilateral working group, no progress has been made in the opening of the economic and transport communications in the region as stipulated in Paragraph 9 of the trilateral statement.

"Official Baku expects serious progress on both issues in the near future and considers it crucial to take the necessary steps in this direction," he said.

He emphasized that the opening of transport communications and the creation of an extensive network of transport arteries, including the Zangazur corridor, meet the interests of the peoples of all the regional countries.

At the same time, Asadov also informed the meeting participants about the large-scale work to restore the lands liberated from the Armenian occupation, including the building of roads and railways, the construction of international airports, and the supply of electricity to the territories.

He once again assured the participants in the meeting that Azerbaijan would continue to contribute to bolstering peace and prosperity in the region.

Furthermore, Asadov expressed confidence that close contacts at various levels, which have developed over many years, as well as the positive experience of joint work, will further promote effective cooperation within the CIS.

Underscoring that the current epidemiological situation in the world makes it possible to predict the imminent start of the post-pandemic period, the prime minister positively assessed the COVID-19 situation in Azerbaijan.

Emphasizing the key role of the vaccination process in overcoming the pandemic, he noted that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to start vaccination in early 2021.

Additionally, Asadov pointed out that there are clear signs of economic recovery in the country, and the positive signs are underway.

"The economic growth in the first quarter of this year amounted to 6.8 percent," he concluded.

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