Hungary to make valuable contribution to Azerbaijan's cooperation with EU Foreign Minister's remarks / PHOTO

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has commented on various issues reflected in Baku's foreign policy agenda, including the Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations, the current situation in the region, energy security, diversification of transport corridors, and the process of normalising relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the post-war period.

According to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, the minister's remarks came during his speech at the annual conference of the heads of diplomatic missions of Hungary in Budapest.

Minister Bayramov said Azerbaijan and Hungary, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, are building bilateral ties based on strong friendship, common values and interests, as well as multilateral cooperation. He noted that today these relations, rapidly developing, have risen to the level of a multifaceted strategic partnership and are exemplary in many respects. The minister also announced that the first meeting of the Azerbaijani-Hungarian strategic dialogue will be held within the framework of his visit to Budapest.

According to Bayramov, a high level of political dialogue creates a favourable basis for the development of economic cooperation through regular meetings of the Azerbaijan-Hungary Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation for further expanding cooperation in the economic, energy, trade, and investment sectors.

The Azerbaijani minister added that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation relations on a regional scale, and in this context, Baku, along with other platforms, is engaged in dialogue with the European Union (EU) on issues of mutual interest, including political cooperation, regional security, energy partnership, as well as communication issues.

He expressed his confidence that Hungary will make a valuable contribution to Azerbaijan's cooperation with the EU during its EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2024, including negotiations on the draft Strategic Partnership Agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU.

Commenting on the relevance of transport routes running from Central Asia along the Caspian Sea and further through Azerbaijan against the backdrop of the regional geopolitical situation after the start of the war in Ukraine, Bayramov stressed the importance of diversifying and modernizing the transport infrastructure of our country. He particularly highlighted Azerbaijan's large-scale investments in transport infrastructure, and the importance of a number of transport infrastructure projects for strengthening trade and logistics between Europe and Asia, including a profitable and safe alternative - the Middle Corridor - the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Bayramov also underlined the importance of the Zangazur Corridor, which could improve communication within the Middle Corridor.

The participants of the conference were also informed about the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, the Patriotic War, and the agenda of the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process.

Bayramov spoke about the continuation of the illegal military presence of Armenia in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, which is contrary to the obligations and is the main obstacle to the process of normalising relations, as well as about the constant military provocations, including mine danger, Armenia’s interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, obstructing the dialogue between the central authorities of Azerbaijan and the Armenian-origin residents of the Garabakh region, and the large-scale slanderous campaign of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

He highly appreciated Hungary's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan both during and after the conflict.

Bayramov announced Azerbaijan's determination to integrate citizens of Armenian origin living in the Karabakh region into its political, social, and economic space, and spoke about the unprecedented reconstruction work in the post-conflict period. He also expressed gratitude to the Hungarian friends for their readiness to support Azerbaijan in the process of restoration and improvement of the liberated territories.