BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 10. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has held a phone talk with Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, the current Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Buyar Osmani, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani MFA.
Issues of cooperation within the OSCE, the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and North Macedonia, the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process and the current situation in the region were discussed during a telephone conversation.
Bayramov noted that the increasing provocations of Armenia against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan are designed to hinder the progress of the peace process. In particular, it was said that the provocations committed by Armenia against the Lachin border checkpoint, which threaten the efforts for the reintegration of Armenians living in the region, show that this country is not interested in the peace process. The minister added that there are no grounds for Armenia's claims, such as the "tense humanitarian situation in the region" and "blockade", and the refusal to use the Aghdam-Khankendi road proposed by Azerbaijan to meet the needs of Armenian residents indicates that the issue is not humanitarian, as it is presented by Armenia, but political.
He stressed that for almost 30 years Armenia kept the lands of Azerbaijan under occupation, and also used the Lachin road for military purposes, plundered the natural resources of Azerbaijan, noted the persistence of the mine threat from Armenia. The Minister stressed the importance of the Lachin border checkpoint for preventing provocative steps of Armenia.
During the telephone conversation, the sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.