Baku, September 5, AZERTAC

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Speaker of National Assembly of Hungary László Kövér, as part of his official visit to the country.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the topical issue of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Hungary, as well as inter-parliamentary ties and current situation in the region.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov hailed the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary in various areas, including political, economic, energy security, humanitarian, educational, cultural and other spheres. He said that high-level visits between the two countries, which have become more intensive in recent years, further contributed to the development of ties.

FM Bayramov highlighted the mutually beneficial cooperation within a number of international organizations, in particular the Organization of Turkic States. The minister stressed the importance of further increasing the intensity of parliamentary diplomacy, including the activities of inter-parliamentary friendship groups, which are important in the development of relations.

Minister Bayramov also informed his interlocutor in detail about the consequences of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories that had lasted for almost 30 years, the current situation and new realities in the region in the post-conflict period, the large-scale reconstruction and construction work underway in the territories liberated from occupation, the normalization and peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The FM said that despite the efforts made by Azerbaijan, which is the initiator of the peace agenda, to advance the normalization process, Armenia continues military and political provocations against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and has not yet fully withdrawn its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan. He noted that all this hinders the establishment of a sustainable peace in the region and remains the main source of threat.

FM Jeyhun Bayramov also brought to the attention of the Hungarian Speaker the ongoing mine threat in the region. He said the Armenian side had refused Azerbaijan’s proposal to open the Aghdam-Khankendi road and intensify the use of the Lachin road to meet the needs of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. “The refusal of the Armenian side from Azerbaijan's proposals shows that the current situation around the Lachin road is not "humanitarian", but as Armenia claims, political,” Bayramov added.

Speaker of Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér highlighted the importance of contacts at the highest level, active cooperation between the chairmen of parliaments, as well as inter-parliamentary friendship groups and experts in the development of strategic ties between Azerbaijan and Hungary.

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