Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Azerbaijan believes that Germany will play an active role in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said during the meetings held in the framework of his working visit to Berlin.

As a part of his trip to Germany, Khalafov has met Andreas Peschke, head of German Foreign Office Director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as Knut Abraham, head of the department on bilateral relations with the countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe at the Administration of the German Federal Chancellor.

During the meetings, Khalafov said Azerbaijan is interested in expanding cooperation with Germany’s companies and emphasized the active role of Azerbaijan in the formation of East-West and North-South transport corridors.

Noting that Azerbaijan is an important political and economic partner of Germany in the region, Germany’s representatives appraised Azerbaijan's efforts in coordinating and developing transportation and communication hubs between Asia and Europe.

The parties also discussed Azerbaijan’s place and role in the region, as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and ways of its solution.

It was noted that Germany, being the chairman of the OSCE can play an important role in resolving the conflict.

Earlier, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is acting as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, said that his country favors the intensification of the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Armed clashes on the contact line and the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan give us cause for concern," he wrote in his article dealing with the European security.

Steinmeier's statement was met in Azerbaijan with a great interest as the country is waiting for some progress in this regard for a long time.

Azerbaijan, who's 20 percent of internationally recognized territory is under Armenian occupation, now urges to take measures to improve the peace process, and considers as an option drastic measures or refusing the services of the OSCE MG.

The fragile ceasefire agreement between the conflict sides is broken almost every day as a result of Armenian provocations in the contact line of troops.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

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