Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Azerbaijan and Portugal have broad opportunities for the development of relations, especially in the tourism sector, Rui Machete, Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, said.
Machete made this statement at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov as part of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said Sept. 28.
While stressing the investment attractiveness of Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov emphasized that despite the financial and economic crisis in the world, the dynamic development is observed in Azerbaijan.
Referring to the European Parliament's recent resolution against Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov emphasized that it is biased, adding that some forces represented in this parliament, are purposefully conducting an anti-Azerbaijani and Islamophobic policy.
Moreover, during the meeting, the sides touched upon the migration crisis in Europe.
Machete said that the integration of migrants, meeting their needs for receiving education and health care services are problematic issues.
Mammadyarov for his part said that one of the main ways of resolving these problems is to promote multiculturalism and Azerbaijan has positive experience in this sphere.
Furthermore, Azerbaijani foreign minister touched upon the process of negotiations on resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
He pointed out that there is no progress in this issue due to Armenia's destructive policy.
Noting that Armenia's occupation policy is a threat to the whole region, the minister added that in order to resolve the conflict, Armenia should withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijan's occupied territories in accordance with four resolutions of the UN Security Council.
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.
Edited by SI