Time to abolish OSCE Minsk Group, says Azerbaijani leader PHOTO

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has had a meeting with OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Malta Ian Borg in Munich, as per the latter’s request.

Ian Borg congratulated the head of state on the victory in the presidential election, Azertag reports.

Expressing gratitude for the congratulations, the Azerbaijani leader, in return, offered his congratulations on Malta's OSCE Chairmanship.

The President of Azerbaijan highlighted the significance of officially discontinuing various residual mechanisms from the past within the OSCE framework, such as the OSCE Minsk Group, the High-Level Planning Group, and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, all of which are completely inactive. The head of state emphasized the importance of reallocating the OSCE budget towards more purposeful and important projects within the organization's framework.

The President stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict had been resolved, with Azerbaijan securing its sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is bilateral in nature.

During the meeting, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade extended congratulations on Azerbaijan hosting COP29, highlighting Malta's sensitivity towards the challenges faced by small island states due to climate change and expressing readiness for cooperation with Azerbaijan in this regard. The President emphasized Azerbaijan's advocacy for an inclusive approach within the COP framework and its profound sensitivity to the challenges faced by small island states due to climate change.

During the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev underscored that this issue would be prioritized throughout Azerbaijan's presidency, expressing readiness to collaborate with Malta and utilize the OSCE platform in this regard.