Azerbaijani president, incoming Belgian ambassador discuss key partnerships PHOTO

On October 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of Julien de Fraipont, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium.

During the meeting, President Aliyev expressed hope for the development of bilateral relations and wished the ambassador success in his new role, Caliber.Az reports via Azertag.

Ambassador de Fraipont, honouring his appointment, pledged to enhance bilateral relations across various fields, including economic and political domains. He congratulated Azerbaijan on hosting COP29, emphasizing the event's significance in addressing global climate challenges and noting that Belgium would participate at a high level. The ambassador highlighted that COP29 would provide an opportunity for Belgian companies in the energy transition and climate change sectors to showcase their capabilities in green energy.

Regional stability was a key point in the discussions, with the ambassador acknowledging Azerbaijan's humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as highly valued by Belgium. He expressed Belgium's interest in regional stability concerning Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and recognized the recent progress made in normalizing these relations, stating Belgium's support for steps taken in this direction. The ambassador assured that Belgium would continue to assist Azerbaijan, particularly in addressing challenges related to landmines and supporting the activities of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA).

President Aliyev highlighted the potential for further development of bilateral relations, noting that meetings between the foreign ministers of both countries are beneficial for discussing cooperation agendas. He also mentioned that preparations for COP29 are in the final stages, emphasizing Azerbaijan's commitment to playing a bridging role among various regions during its presidency of COP next year. The president indicated that the transition to green energy is a significant part of Azerbaijan's agenda, with plans for increased renewable energy contributions in the coming years and readiness to collaborate with Belgian companies.

On the topic of Azerbaijan-European Union relations, President Aliyev remarked that Brussels has been a successful venue for negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, backed by European Council President Charles Michel, which led to meaningful progress. However, he expressed disappointment that the Armenian side opted not to continue the Brussels process, despite its positive outcomes.

The president emphasized the equal value of all provisions within the peace agreement, asserting that the Armenian government's proposal to separate agreed clauses from unresolved ones is unrealistic. He recalled the “Madrid process” principles, which stated that no agreement could be reached without consensus on all issues, a position that both Armenia and Azerbaijan previously supported.

Moreover, President Aliyev addressed the importance of the European Union maintaining neutrality in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, recalling that the EU had not been active during the occupation. He criticized the EU's current involvement, noting some bias from certain members in Brussels that undermines trust and the normalization process. The president advised the EU against following France's approach, which he described as destructive regarding Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

Additionally, he raised concerns regarding the extension of the "European observers mission" at the border without Azerbaijan's consent, questioning the necessity of this action. The president described the mission members' conduct as "binoculars diplomacy," which he deemed unacceptable. He indicated that this issue would be raised in future discussions with the European Union.

Ambassador de Fraipont expressed gratitude for the information shared during the meeting and reiterated his commitment to fostering relations between Azerbaijan and Belgium, recognizing the significant potential for cooperation across various sectors.

President Aliyev concluded by emphasizing that Azerbaijan-EU cooperation covers a broad agenda, including energy, transportation, green energy, and trade. He underscored that any regression in this cooperation due to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations would be regrettable but expressed hope that bilateral relations would continue to develop independently of this context.