Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.1
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
Azerbaijan remains committed to support peace in Afghanistan, said Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov at the 7th Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Baku Dec. 1.
Mammadyarov noted that since its launch, the Istanbul Process has proved to be an effective multilateral platform.
“Through its co-chairmanship, Azerbaijan, I believe so made all possible contributions to advance the objectives of the Process. In 2017, we hosted Senior Officials Meetings in Baku and New York, and expert meetings of the Confidence-Building Measures on Combating Narcotics and Regional Infrastructure,” he said.
The process provides a unique opportunity to ensure peace, stability and security in Afghanistan, he added.
“We believe that a secure, self-reliant and self –sufficient Afghanistan has much to offer for the region’s better future. Hence, Azerbaijan has been continuously supporting Afghanistan’s efforts to build a sustainable statehood, providing substantial military, civil service, law enforcement, mine action, medical and rehabilitation trainings for Afghan officials, as well as sharing its experience on e-governance and public service deliveries. Today, our troops serve at the Resolute Support Mission and we continue our assistance to the Afghanistan National Army,” said Mammadyarov.
Talking about the agreement signed between Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Georgia and Turkmenistan to construct the Lapis Lazuli railway, Mammadyarov said it will facilitate the smooth movement of goods.
“A wide region stretching from Georgia-Azerbaijan to the Central Asia, across the Caspian, constitutes an emerging competitive trade and transit artery in transcontinental trade routes connecting the World’s largest supply and demand markets. In this regard, we believe, the Lapis Lazuli agreement will have a significant role not only in bringing Afghanistan closer to European markets, but also in boosting international trade throughout the region,” said the foreign minister.
He further stressed that Azerbaijan, as a country which knows the problems of the conflict from the first hand as it has long been suffering from military aggression of the neighboring Armenia, deeply comprehends the value of peace, security and stability.
“We believe that only respect for norms and principles of international law, particularly those pertaining to sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders of states can be a warranty for a lasting peace, security and stability in the region,” added Mammadyarov.