Mammadyarov, Salber discuss Azerbaijan-EU ties

  09 December 2016    Read: 1605
Mammadyarov, Salber discuss Azerbaijan-EU ties
On the sidelines of the 23rd meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Friday met Herbert Salber, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus.
The sides had an extensive exchange of views on the prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union as well as the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Elmar Mammadyarov informed Salber about the negotiation process on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He added that the illegal presence of Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the main reason behind the escalation in the conflict zone and continues to remain as a major obstacle to achieving a political solution to the conflict.

Elmar Mammadyarov said substantive high-level talks in Vienna and St. Petersburg was a positive step forward, noting that the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will improve the region’s overall security environment to a significant degree.

Elmar Mammadyarov said Armenia is pursuing a destructive policy aimed at avoiding substantive talks, strengthening its military build-up in the occupied territories, changing the demographic, cultural and physical character of these territories and maintaining the status quo.

Touching on public diplomacy measures taken with the support of the EU within the conflict resolution process, the minister stressed the importance of developing dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Herbert Salber expressed his gratitude for detailed information and spoke about public projects supported by the EU to contribute to the resolution of the conflict.

The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.

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