Details added (first version posted on July 17, 17:58)
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 17
Trend:
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited the Saeima (parliament) of the Republic of Latvia in Riga.
Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Inara Murniece greeted Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Murniece presented a group of parliamentarians to President Ilham Aliyev. She informed Ilham Aliyev of the activity of the Saeima and familiarized him with the meeting hall.
They posed together for photographs. The head of state also signed a guest book of the Saeima.
President Ilham Aliyev and Inara Murniece then held a meeting.
The Speaker of the Saeima praised relations between the two countries. Recalling her visit to Baku, Murniece said the official visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Latvia will open a new page in the development of bilateral ties.
President Aliyev said Azerbaijan-Latvia relations successfully develop in a variety of fields. The head of state recalled his meeting with Inara Murniece in Baku.
The President said political relations between the two countries successfully develop. The head of state said parliamentary cooperation makes a great contribution to bilateral ties.
President Ilham Aliyev said there are good opportunities for expanding economic relations and for cooperation in the cultural, humanitarian and tourism fields.
President Ilham Aliyev highlighted political and economic reforms as well as international transport projects implemented in Azerbaijan. The head of state noted that Azerbaijan and Latvia successfully cooperate within international organizations. The President spoke of Azerbaijan-EU relations, saying they dynamically develop. President Ilham Aliyev said that the EU supports Azerbaijan-initiated projects in the fields of energy, gas and transport.
Murniece said Latvia constantly supports Azerbaijan in EU. She said that Latvia wants the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be solved within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. She expressed regret over the recent incident that resulted in the killing of two Azerbaijani civilians – a grandmother and her granddaughter.
President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the recent incidents that resulted in the killing of civilians on the line of contact line. The head of state thanked Latvia for its position on this incident and on the settlement of the conflict within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.