Details added (first version posted on 13:34)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1
By Seba Aghayeva – Trend:
Bosnia and Herzegovina supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and the parliament of the Balkan country has recently reiterated this position, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Crnadak told reporters in Baku Dec. 1.
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Crnadak said that Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan.
The foreign minister added that his country is open to Azerbaijani investments and intends to organize a business forum with participation of the businessmen of the two countries in the near future.
He called agrarian sector, expansion of trade relations, energy and investment priority areas for cooperation.
Crnadak invited Azerbaijan’s foreign minister to visit his country.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is focused on integration into the EU, as well as development of cooperation with other countries, including Azerbaijan, Crnadak said.
He added that increasing the volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of priorities of the bilateral cooperation.
Crnadak noted that the government of the Balkan country has not yet come to a consensus on the issue of joining the project of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which envisages transportation of gas from the Caspian region to Europe, and expressed hope that a consensus on this issue will be reached.
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