President Aliyev hails successful Azerbaijan - EU cooperation

Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, paid a two-day working visit to Azerbaijan on February 1920 to discuss issues related to Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, regional security and cooperation.

This came as Klaar’s second visit to Azerbaijan after the first visit paid early December 2017.

President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Klaar on February 19. The head of state hailed the successful development of Azerbaijan-EU cooperation.

Recalling the European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union, co-chair Maros Sefcovic’s participation in the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in Baku on February 15, the President underlined the fruitful discussions held with Sefcovic on the development of bilateral relations in a number of areas, including energy.

The head of state further noted the importance of expanding Azerbaijan-EU cooperation not only in energy field, but also in a number of other areas, including politics, trade, investment, transport, security and culture. President Aliyev mentioned that all this is featured in a new agreement between the European Union and Azerbaijan which is under development.

In February 2017, the EU and Azerbaijan launched negotiations on a new strategic agreement that will replace the old one – the partnership and cooperation agreement signed in 1996. The new agreement must better take into account the common goals and challenges facing the EU and Azerbaijan today. The agreement will offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the sides.

President Aliyev described Armenia’s hypocritical and non-constructive position as the key impediment to achieving progress in negotiations. He noted that Armenia continues its policy of aggression and destroys national, religious, and historical monuments in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

The head of state emphasized that for the soonest settlement of the conflict, Armenia must begin to withdraw its forces from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law must be restored.

Klaar, in turn, noted that the EUAzerbaijan relations continue to develop in all areas, hailing good prospects for bilateral cooperation.

The sides also exchanged views on the settlement of the ArmeniaAzerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, noting that it is important to make efforts to ensure peaceful settlement of the conflict through negotiations.

Later in the day, Klaar met with the Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov.

During the meeting that discussed the current situation in the frontline. Hasanov once again reminded that Azerbaijan’s territories recognized by international community are still under Armenia’s occupation. The negotiation process is still unsuccessful, he added.

Noting that the Azerbaijani and Armenian armies are standing faceto-face on the frontline, Hasanov did not rule out the resumption of the war at any moment.

The minister added that instead of investigating the consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it would be better for international structures to remove the causes of its emergence through every effort to fully resolve the conflict.

Klaar, in turn, noted the importance of an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict to ensure stability in the South Caucasus region and stressed that the European Union supports continuation of the negotiations.

Within the visit, on February 20, Klaar familiarized himself with the conditions created in the quarter for internally displaced persons in the Masazir village of Azerbaijan’s Absheron region, which accommodates 760 IDPs.

Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Fuad Huseynov and Head of the Executive Power of Zangilan region Ramiz Hasanov informed the delegation members about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the work carried out in Azerbaijan to solve the problems of refugees and IDPs.

It was noted that as a result of the ethnic cleansing Armenia carried out in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, more than a million people became refugees and IDPs. The delegation was also informed that Armenia does not comply with the decisions and resolutions of authoritative international structures demanding the immediate withdrawal of its armed forces from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

Then, the delegation got acquainted with the conditions created in the secondary school No. 33 of Zangilan region, as well as with the conditions in the Local History Museum and Shafag kindergarten.

Having expressing gratitude for the detailed information, Klaar stressed the importance of an early settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and highly appreciated Azerbaijan’s efforts to address the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region 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. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan’s territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.