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Sabina Mammadli

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The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers are expected to meet in the coming weeks, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said.

The minister made the remark at a trilateral meeting with Turkish and Turkmen counterparts Mevlut Cavusoglu and Rashid Meredov in Turkmenistan's Awaza on December 13.

The Azerbaijani minister noted that Baku intends to build bilateral relations with Armenia on the basis of mutual recognition and respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of each other's borders and normal neighborly relations.

"To this end, we have presented the recently updated proposals on the text of the agreement on relations between the two countries to the opposite side, and in the coming weeks, it's planned to hold another meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries for discussions," he said.

Noting Azerbaijan's position is consistent and principled, based on international law and justice, Bayramov expressed hope for Armenia to respond with the necessary political will and practical actions to the steps taken by Azerbaijan to bring about peace.

“An important condition for achieving the logical result of the normalization process is the immediate fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by Armenia, and taking steps to establish normal good neighborly relations," Bayramov added.

Moreover, during the trilateral meeting, the foreign ministers of the three countries reviewed documents on energy, trade, customs, transport, education, and culture, as well as on the trilateral format, which will be adopted at the first summit of the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Turkmen leaders on December 14.

Bayramov noted that the summit will play a crucial role in the development of a trilateral dialogue among the countries. He praised the relations of the three states within international organizations, including the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Noting that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's diplomatic relations with Türkiye and Turkmenistan, the minister outlined the development of Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Turkmenistan relations based on the common historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious background of the three nations. He also emphasized the leaders' role in establishing mutual trust among the three countries.

"Close engagements of the leaders determine the dynamics of development of relations, as well as contribute to successful interaction in the international arena. The first summit, which will be held on December 14, is of historical significance. The meeting will be an important stage in the development of the trilateral Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Turkmenistan format, thus complementing the bilateral relations existing between our countries and further developing these ties based on common interests and benefits. The joint statement of the first summit, trilateral documents on energy, trade, economy, customs, transport, science, education, culture are practical steps in this direction," Bayramov said on December 13 ahead of the summit.

According to him, this cooperation continues successfully as part of international and regional institutions. The decisions taken by the presidents during the XI Summit of the OTS held on November 11, 2022, in Samarkand, have significantly bolstered joint efforts.

Further, the official expressed confidence that the trilateral cooperation of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Turkmenistan would contribute to the full usage of the regional transport and transit potential, as well as to the strengthening of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). It was said that Azerbaijan's activities to establish a new transport infrastructure in the liberated territories, including the opening of the Zangazur corridor, are of particular importance.

The foreign minister also stated that the increasing relevance of energy security against the backdrop of recent global events testifies to the necessity of strengthening efforts in this sector.

Speaking at the meeting, he talked about the reconstruction work carried out by Azerbaijan to eliminate the aftermath of the 30-year-long occupation, as well as to ensure the safe return of the former internally displaced persons (IDPs). He also pointed out the landmine threat impeding the rebuilding efforts in the region, including the peace process.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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