Azerbaijani official highlights progress in Baku–Yerevan normalization

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov has outlined progress in the normalization process between Baku and Yerevan during a session of the Council of Europe in Chișinău, Moldova, highlighting steps taken toward peace, expanding regional connectivity, and confidence-building measures between the two countries. 

Mammadov attended the 135th session of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, held on May 14–15 in the Moldovan capital, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

According to the ministry, in his speech Mammadov referred to the signing of a joint statement by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the initialing of a peace agreement and the establishment of interstate relations between the two countries in Washington last August.

He noted that over the past nine months Azerbaijan and Armenia have been living under conditions of peace, stressing that the practical benefits of the new realities are already visible and that efforts to consolidate peace are ongoing.

Mammadov said Azerbaijan has unilaterally lifted transit and trade restrictions, established conditions for the transit of goods to Armenia through its territory, and is exporting goods and products to the country. He also highlighted that, in order to build trust, reciprocal visits between civil society representatives of both states have taken place.

In his remarks, the deputy minister said the biased approach of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe toward Azerbaijan is seriously undermining the integrity of the Council of Europe as an institution, adding that responsibility for addressing this situation lies with the organization.

He thanked Moldova for its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and wished success to Monaco, the incoming chair.

Mammadov also participated in and spoke at a roundtable discussion on “Migration in Europe” held on the margins of the session.

By Vafa Guliyeva