BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 1. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid within the 30th Ministerial Council of OSCE in Skopje, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.
"The meeting included exchange of opinions on the main directions of the Azerbaijan-OSCE bilateral cooperation agenda, the challenges currently faced by the OSCE, as well as issues related to regional and international security," the ministry noted.
Bayramov emphasized the importance of multilateral platforms, including the OSCE, for a more effective approach to preserving compliance with the fundamental provisions of international law, including such key principles as territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the protection of these principles.
"The meeting discussed the realities that have emerged in the post-Karabakh conflict period in the region, the reconstruction of Azerbaijan's liberated territories, the phased return of displaced persons to these territories, the mine threat as the biggest obstacle to rehabilitation and return activities, and Azerbaijan's efforts to promote the peace process," the ministry said.
Jeyhun Bayramov informed the OSCE Secretary-General about the factors that justified local counter-terrorism measures taken by Azerbaijan in less than 24 hours," the ministry said.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement (signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war), prevent large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and the withdrawal of Armenian armed formations from Azerbaijani territories, anti-terror measures of a local nature were carried out in the region on September 19-20, 2023. As a result of the anti-terror measures, Azerbaijan restored sovereignty and constitutional order in these territories. The armed formations of Armenia located in the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan were disbanded and left the territory of Azerbaijan.
"It was emphasized that, as confirmed by representatives of international organizations, there was no violence against civilians in this process. Regarding the departure of Armenian residents from Azerbaijani territories, the responsibility for this lies with Armenia and the separatist regime under its control," the ministry highlighted. "In particular, the unacceptability of applying double standards, a selective approach to the fundamental principles of international law, such as the restoration of territorial integrity and sovereignty, was noted."
During the meeting, other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
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