Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.12
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
Azerbaijan is interested in expanding the political and economic ties with Latin American countries, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters Oct.12.
"Today, the development of cooperation with Latin American countries is the priority of Azerbaijan's foreign policy," he said, adding that these countries support Azerbaijan's interests on the international arena.
The spokesperson noted that Azerbaijan's cooperation interest is supported by the leaders of Latin American countries.
Azerbaijan has opened its embassies in many countries of this continent and many countries of this region have opened their diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan, he said.
Periodically, reciprocal visits at various levels are organized between Azerbaijan and these countries, Hajiyev added.
Furthermore, he said that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Latin American countries exceeds $300 million and Brazil accounts for the major part of this volume.
"Azerbaijan's relations with the countries of this continent are especially developed in the political sphere," he said. "Latin American countries, in particular, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Columbia and others have adopted a resolution on Khojaly genocide at the level of legislative bodies."
Hajiyev emphasized the relations with Uruguay. He reminded that in 2011-2012, Armenian diaspora in this country attempted to carry out work on recognition of the separatist regime created by Armenia in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and the visit of Uruguayan parliamentary delegation to Nagorno-Karabakh was organized for this purpose.
It was attempted to organize the visit of Uruguayan foreign minister to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region as well, he added.
However, this anti-Azerbaijani activity of the Armenian lobby was prevented thanks to the thought-out policy of Azerbaijan, Hajiyev noted.
Later, during the visit to Azerbaijan, Uruguay's deputy foreign minister made a statement saying that Uruguay recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty and added that occupation of territories of one country by the other is inadmissible, he added.
Hajiyev noted that Brazil is one of the important partners of Azerbaijan in Latin America.
Brazil holds unequivocal position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - it supports the peaceful settlement of the conflict within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, according to the spokesperson.
Currently, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry is carrying out work on developing the cooperation with other Latin American countries as well, he added.
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.
On February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
As a result of the massacre, some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.
Edited by SI
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