Middle Corridor emerges as key focus of Azerbaijan-OSCE PA talks

Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly have highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor and expanding transport links between Europe and Central Asia as part of efforts to advance regional connectivity and economic development.

The issue was discussed on September 3 in Baku during a meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons Sampietro, who is visiting Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports via the Foreign Ministry.

The sides also addressed the agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE PA, existing security challenges across the OSCE area, the regional situation, and the peace agenda between Baku and Yerevan.

Bayramov noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to cooperation with the OSCE PA, stressing that interparliamentary dialogue plays an important role in building mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation across the OSCE area.

In this context, he highlighted the activities of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (parliament) within the OSCE PA, as well as mutual visits and meetings at various levels. Bayramov briefed his counterpart on the measures taken by Azerbaijan to ensure peace and stability in the region, the progress achieved in the normalisation of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, and Baku’s position on advancing the peace agenda.

He also addressed humanitarian issues, noting that the landmine threat remains a serious danger to people’s lives, hindering reconstruction efforts in the territories liberated from occupation, the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral lands, and regional development. The minister stressed the importance of determining the fate of around 4,000 Azerbaijanis who remain missing.

The sides also exchanged views on Azerbaijan’s contribution to regional and international energy security, the country’s role as a reliable partner in ensuring Europe’s energy security, ongoing projects to diversify energy supply sources and routes, and initiatives in the field of green energy.

Azerbaijan’s contribution to the development of regional connectivity was also highlighted, along with the importance of the Middle Corridor and expanding transport logistics linking Europe with Central Asia. The sides also stressed the importance of opening regional communications for stability and economic development.

The parties noted the growing momentum in Azerbaijan’s strategic partnerships with Central Asian countries, emphasising that the transformation of the C5 format into C6 opens new horizons for cooperation.

By Jeyhun Aghazada