Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.15
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
Azerbaijan intends to improve the cooperation with the European Union up to the cooperation in energy and other spheres, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the meeting with President of Latvia Andris Berzins in Riga.
Mammadyarov is on an official visit to Latvia.
During the meeting, Mammadyarov emphasized the significance of cooperation between Azerbaijan and EU within the Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic (TAP) gas pipeline projects, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
Azerbaijan's foreign minister congratulated Latvian president with the country's successful presidency in Council of the European Union.
The minister also briefed Berzins about the process of negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, adding that Riga's position is enshrined in the documents signed between the two countries.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Latvian president, for this part, expressed hope that Azerbaijan will be represented in the summit of the participating states of the EU Eastern Partnership at the highest level.
It should be noted that the summit will be held in Riga on May 21-22.
Moreover, during the visit, Mammadyarov met with Latvia's Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and speaker of the country's Seimas (parliament) Inara Murniece.
During the meetings, Latvian officials emphasized the strategic importance of Azerbaijan in the further development of the relations within EU Eastern Partnership program, said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
Alongside with the upcoming Riga summit of the participating countries of the EU Eastern Partnership program, the sides discussed the issues of development of the bilateral relations, the situation in South Caucasus and energy issues.
Edited by SI
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