Baku, September 22, AZERTAC

The Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress has hosted an event to establish a Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Group, Azerbaijan`s Embassy in the country has told AZERTAC.

Addressing the event, chairman of the friendship group, member of the Chamber of Deputies from Michoacán District, Alfredo Anaya Orozco described the establishment of the friendship group as “the manifestation of great attention to and mutual interest in developing cooperation between the two countries”. "In this regard, the establishment of the group will contribute to the strengthening of our friendly ties and help the two countries and people better know each other."

He hailed “rich and ancient” heritage of Azerbaijan, describing the country as “a place of religious tolerance” among the Muslim countries.

Anaya Orozco highlighted the history of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Mexico.

In her remarks, Charge d'Affaires of the Azerbaijani Embassy Mehriban Samadova described Azerbaijan as the regional leader. She said Mexico was the first Latin American country where the Azerbaijani government opened its embassy in 2008.

She noted that the opening of the embassy gave a significant impetus to the development of Azerbaijan-Mexico inter-parliamentary ties. On Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Charge d'Affaires highlighted the resolution which the Chamber of Deputies of Mexican Congress adopted in 2011. She described the resolution as “a great political and moral support” for the people and government of Azerbaijan as well as for “a fair” settlement of the conflict.

Deputy Head of the Department for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Alessandro Macias Ortego hailed the importance of the establishment of the friendship group in terms of diplomatic cooperation.

Members of the friendship group and Mehriban Samadova then signed the Act on the establishment of the group. Under the document, members of the group will closely cooperate with Azerbaijan. The Act provides for the establishment of continuous and effective dialogue, strengthening of ties between the two peoples, and the building of new and better ways of cooperation.

Member of the Chamber of Deputies from Michoacán District, Alfredo Anaya Orozco will head the group.

The group includes 10 members, of whom five are members of the Institutional Revolutionary Party which is currently in power in Mexico.