Azerbaijani, British MPs mull expansion of relations
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijani and British parliamentary members have discussed cooperation and bilateral ties between the two countries.
Members of the Azerbaijan-Great Britain inter-parliamentary relations working group met the representatives of the Parliament of Great Britain on September 17, AzerTag news agency reported.
Head of the Working Group Chingiz Asadullayev highlighted socio-economic accomplishments the country reached during the past years, noting that Azerbaijan has become the leading country in region.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Asadullayev stressed the international community should not be indifferent in settlement of the problem.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.
Chairman of the parliament's International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Standing Committee Samad Seyidov, in turn, informed about the role of cooperation between the legislative bodies in expansion of bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and the Great Britain.
Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Tony Boldri praised the friendly relations between the two countries, stressing there were greater potential to establish cooperation in versatile fields in future, particularly in the economic field.
The participants also discussed further expansion of cooperation in the agriculture, education and other fields.
The UK recognized Azerbaijan's independence in December, 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in March, 1992.
Azerbaijan and the UK have benefitted from close bilateral partnership and cooperation since 1992, in the framework of international organizations such as the United Nations, OSCE, Council of Europe, and NATO. The relations have covered a wide range of issues, from high-level political dialogue to growing trade and investment, as well as strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.
Economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the energy sector, is at the core of the relations between Azerbaijan and the UK. The UK is the largest foreign direct investor in Azerbaijan, followed by the U.S. and Japan.
Azerbaijan cooperates with the UK in the exploration and transportation of oil and natural gas from the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea.