FM OF AZERBAIJAN MEETS EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON S. CAUCASUS
[July 21, 2006, 19:14:50]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 21, 2006
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov on 20 July has met
with Mr. Peter Semnebey, Special Representative of the European Union
on South Caucasus.
The sides had a comprehensive exchange of views on the issues of
the present status of the Azerbaijan-EU relations, the negotiation
processes on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, regional relations, the large-scale economic and transport
projects being realized in region.
In the discussions related to the Azerbaijan-EU relations, focused
was the process of negations on the Plan of Activity for Azerbaijan
in the frames of the Organization’s New Neighborhood Policy, and
especially were discussed the co-op opportunities in the energy sphere.
Noting, Azerbaijan is not only the source of energy, but also the
transit country, Minister Mammadyarov said the integration to reach the
European markets is priority in state policy of Republic. It is also
of great importance form the national security standpoint, he stressed.
In meeting, also touched were issues of energy safety, support for the
final document adopted by G8 on the problems of global energy safety.
Speaking of the negotiations on peaceful settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mr. Semnebey stated
expressed hope for peace achievement with the help of mutual trust
steps.
‘Azerbaijan adheres the negotiations to be continued in the frame of
Prague process’, the Minister said. ‘The occupied territories should
be freed, the refugees and IDPs return to their homelands. But the
unconstructive position of Armenia impedes it’, he underlined. The
Minister called the mass fire set in the occupied areas by Armenians
as ecological catastrophe. ‘Should these fires be eliminated by
Azerbaijan or with the mediation of the OSCE, it would contribute
mutual trust actions’, Mammadyarov stressed.
Peter Semnebey promised to lift the question in Brussels, and stressed
necessity to stop the fires.
In the meeting, also discussed were a range of questions of mutual
interest.