John Bolton: US-Azerbaijani relations of strategic importance

24 October 2018 18:37 (UTC+04:00)

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Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the delegation headed by Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs John Bolton, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a message.

Underlining that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the relations with the US, Mammadyarov stressed that Azerbaijan closely cooperates with the US in several fields, particularly as part of the fight against terrorism.

Mammadyarov also thanked the US Government for its support to the projects implemented by the initiative of Azerbaijan.

Highlighting the necessity of further developing cooperation relations in different spheres between the two countries Bolton said that the US-Azerbaijani relations are of the strategic importance.

Bolton also reiterated that the contribution of Azerbaijan to the operations in Afghanistan as part of the fight against terrorism is highly appreciated.

Informing Bolton about the negotiation process on the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov underlined that the current status-quo is unacceptable and unsustainable.

Mammadyarov emphasized the illegal existence of the armed forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and stressed that in order to achieve sustainable and peaceful solution to the conflict, first of all the Armenian troops should be withdrawn from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the people who were forced to flee these territories should return to their homeland.

At the meeting the sides discussed the energy, transit and transport projects implemented by the initiative of Azerbaijan, especially Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Southern Gas Corridor.

Furthermore the sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

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