As was informed, foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov is on his visit to Washington on the invitation of Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell. This is his first visit as foreign minister.

On 20 July, Minister Mammadyarov has met Secretary of State Colin Powell, minister of energy Spenser Abraham, chairmen of working groups of Congress-Milli Majlis, congressmen Curt Weldon and Solomon Ortiz, as well as representatives of the Jewish community, AzerTAj correspondent reported.

At the meeting with the minister of energy Spenser Abraham, the foreign minister informed on the achievements in the oil-gas fields in the Republic. The parties stressed the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines for the region. Currently Azerbaijan negotiates with Greece on gas transportation, Minister Mammadyarov said. There are good opportunities for transportation of Azerbaijan gas to world markets. He stressed necessity of US assistance in this question.

The Ministers also focused the question of signing the project “US-Azerbaijan energy dialogue” that covers bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. It was noted that there is an interest to the restored energy sources in the world. Mr. S. Abraham expressed hope that the two countries would reach high-level cooperation in this sphere. Also were touched issues of establishment of links between scientific-research centers, made suggestions on joint research with the participation of Azerbaijan scholars in the labs in America with their American colleagues.

The same day, Mr. Mammadyarov made a report on the topic “Foreign policy priorities of Azerbaijan at the Center of Strategic and International Researches in Washington. The Minister highlighted on the relations of the Republic with US, Iran, Russia, Turkey and NATO, on the projects being realized in the Caspian basin, on ensuring safety of the oil-gas pipelines, on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Noting that the democratic and economic reforms are going at full scale, Mr. Mammadyarov said that investing the oil profits to the non-oil sectors of Country is one of the major tasks of Azerbaijan government. Deposits of the transparently acting Oil Fund of Republic will be directed to agriculture, tourism, transport, communications and other spheres.

Impeding regional development in the South Caucasus, the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict was in the focus of the meeting at the Center of Strategic and International Researches in Washington. In reply to numerous questions of the participants, Minister Mammadyarov stated that despite 20 percents of the Country’s territories have been occupied and there are over million refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan still adheres peaceful settlement of the conflict in the frame of international laws. He reminded that Presidents of both countries have met two times and foreign ministers - three times in this year. Touching the recent visit of Minsk Group co-chairs to the region, foreign minister of Azerbaijan said he is hopeful for their mediation in the conflict settlement. At his words, international support for Azerbaijan’s position gives reason to say that. He reminded that the Council of Europe has reaffirmed in its recent document the territorial intensity of Azerbaijan.

One of the items focused in the meeting was allocation by the Congress Committee of equal military assistance for Azerbaijan and Armenia. Mr. Mammadyarov gave high assessment to the links between Azerbaijan and Pentagon, recalled the earlier successfully realized military programs. He, at the same time, underlined that he is surprised at equal assistance to Azerbaijan who is in the anti-terror coalition with the United States in the hot spots, and Armenia, who simply expresses its support for the Alley’s military operations. If the United States wants to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan it should appropriately regard and military assistance to Azerbaijan.

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On 20 July, Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov has met at the Department of State with Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell. In the course of talks, Mr. Powell expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan’s participation at the anti-terror campaign and in particular, for service in staff of the peacemaking forces in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States attentively watches the democratic and economic reforms in Azerbaijan, Secretary of State said. Noting that since George Bush Administration assumed power, the US pays constant attention to settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Mr. Colin Powell said that as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair the United States would closely watch the developments in the region and continue to effectively take part at the process of negotiations. He noted that it should be taken into account how the society is ready to discuss the settlement of conflict.

Minister E. Mammadyarov stated: “Until return of IDPs to their homelands, the society will remain sensitive to settlement of conflict and in this case, it is not real to speak of settlement of the Armenia Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict”. He called on the United States as a super state and OSCE Minsk Group co-chair to increase its efforts for just settlement of the conflict in the frame of international laws.

During the talk, the parties also focused the energy projects being realized in the Caspian basin. Also were discussed other questions of mutual interest.

Ms. Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, ambassador of Azerbaijan in Washington Hafiz Pashayev, Azerbaijan’s permanent representative in UN Yashar Aliyev took part in the meeting.

Mr. E. Mammadyarov is expected to have a number of meetings and discussions till 24 July.