Delegates to the Baku meeting of the heads of border departments' working group of the International Border Issues Conference (SIOFOK Conference) visited the Alley of Honors on September 27 to lay a wreath at national leader Heydar Aliyev’s monument and flowers at the grave of outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

Then, the participants visited the Martyrs’ Alley to pay tribute to sons and daughters of Azerbaijan who sacrificed their lives in the name of independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. They laid carnations at their graves and wreath at the Eternal Fire memorial.

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The meeting of the heads of border departments' working group of the International Border Issues Conference commenced September 27 at the Excelsior hotel.

This conference is widely known as a “Siofok conference” as its plenary sessions and meetings of working groups were held in the Hungarian city of Siofok.

This meeting is attended by representatives of Azerbaijan, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Switzerland, Latvia, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, chief of the State Frontier Service, lieutenant-general Elchin Guliyev, Presidential Aide, lieutenant-general Vahid Aliyev, deputy Foreign Minister Vagif Sadigov touched on the successes achieved by Azerbaijan in all the fields, Azerbaijan-initiated large-scale energy and transport projects being implemented in the region.

The delegates were informed about the fact that Armenia’s military aggression resulted in occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, driving over 1 million Azerbaijanis from their homes.

Speakers said the territories occupied by Armenia are out of international control and used for illegal turnover of drugs, psychotropic substances, components of the weapons of mass destruction. The fact of using the territories for drugs turnover was reflected in the US Department of State reports.

Azerbaijan attaches a great importance to international cooperation in the border control

The agenda of the event includes such issues as preparation to the 15th conference, working groups’ activity, responsibilities and capabilities of frontier bodies in the search and rescue operations. The meeting is held behind the closed doors.