BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 8. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Marija Pejčinović Burić, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry told Trend.
The meeting shed light on Azerbaijan's and the CoE's cooperation agendas, as well as the present situation in the area.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov expressed satisfaction that, since Azerbaijan's accession to the Council of Europe, the country has closely collaborated with the CoE in the areas of human rights protection, rule of law, and democracy development, having signed a number of conventions on the subject and implementing a number of joint programs.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted that the IV Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the CoE member nations, held on May 17 this year in Reykjavik, plays an essential role in examining the potential of strengthening cooperation within the CoE.
Noting the work on the current Action Plan between Azerbaijan and the CoE, the parties highlighted that collaboration has achieved significant results, particularly in the areas of enhancing the justice system, media development, and other sectors.
The delegation led by the CoE Secretary General was briefed in detail on the region's post-conflict situation, including the large-scale reconstruction and construction work carried out by Azerbaijan in territories liberated from Armenian occupation, the mine threat impeding this activity and citizens' security, the reintegration of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region's Armenian population, and the process of normalizing Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.
Speaking about the elements that influenced local anti-terrorist efforts in the Karabakh region in September of this year, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that the presence of illegal Armenian military formations on Azerbaijani territory was one of the most serious threats of this type. He stated that the aforementioned anti-terrorist efforts of a local nature played a significant part in removing barriers to the creation of peace and security in the region.
Representatives from a number of international organizations, including the Council of Europe, who visited the region following local anti-terrorist measures confirmed the absence of facts of violence against civilians, contrary to Armenia's statements in the context of the slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan.
At the conference, other regional topics of mutual concern were also covered.
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