Azerbaijani, Saudi FMs mull Karabakh post-war situation, mine threat
By Vafa Ismayilova
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud have discussed the post-war regional situation, mine contamination, and reconstruction in Karabakh, the Foreign Ministry reported on June 24.
At the meeting held on June 24, as part of his official visit to Saudi Arabia, Bayramov briefed his Saudi counterpart on the post-war situation on the liberated territories, the scale of the decades-long devastation in those areas, the territories' contamination with mines, mine clearance operations, the rehabilitation and reconstruction in Karabakh.
He stressed the importance of signing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on respect for the countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Touching upon Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan and its consequences, Bayramov praised Saudi Arabia's support to Azerbaijan in this issue, both bilaterally and within the framework of international organizations.
The Saudi foreign minister praised Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's position to normalize relations with Armenia. Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that Saudi Arabia is ready to provide all possible support to Azerbaijan.
He expressed satisfaction with the level of relations between the two countries, noting that relations are built on solid foundations. He stressed that Azerbaijan is a friendly and brotherly country.
Bayramov noted national leader Heydar Aliyev's visit to Saudi Arabia has an important place in the history of bilateral relations. He stressed the high level of political relations between the two friendly countries.
Bayramov emphasized the importance of economic cooperation. He hailed cooperation between the two countries in the field of wind energy. Referring to cooperation in tourism, the minister noted that after the simplification of visa procedures for citizens of the Gulf countries in 2016 the number of Saudi tourists visiting Azerbaijan increased several times. He expressed confidence that the positive dynamics would continue in the post-pandemic period.
Meanwhile, at his meeting with Bayramov, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf said that GCC has always supported Azerbaijan's position with regards to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
At the meeting, the two officials focused on the current regional situation, the fulfillment of trilateral deals signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan, and the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani border tensions.
Bayramov briefed Al-Hajraf about the post-war regional situation, particularly mine threat and its consequences and the rehabilitation in Karabakh.
He stressed that the occupation factor's elimination facilitated efforts to normalize relations between the two countries based on respect for sovereignty, international law, the principle of territorial integrity, and inviolability of internationally recognized borders.
Bayramov underlined that the GCC member countries are interested in participating in joint projects of creative work on the liberated territories.
The parties discussed the possibilities of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council, including the development of a joint action plan and other issues of mutual interest.
On June 23, Bayramov and Saudi Arabian Investment Minister Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih discussed further economic cooperation and Riyadh's involvement in the rehabilitation of Karabakh
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