Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

Read more

On January 19, 2024, the newly appointed Ambassador of Canada to the Russian Federation, Sarah Taylor, paid a courtesy visit to the doyen of the diplomatic corps, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azernews reports.

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan congratulated Sarah Taylors on her appointment and wished her professional success.

During the meeting, many issues were discussed, including the current relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ambassador Taylor inquired about the situation in the already-ended Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and what role Russia plays in maintaining peace in the region.

Polad Bulbuloglu spoke in detail about the history of the conflict, the long-term and fruitless negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the victory in the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, as well as local anti-terrorist measures on September 19, 2023, during which Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also spoke about the post-conflict period and the large-scale restoration and reconstruction work carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

Ambassador S. Taylor inquired about the process of resettlement of the Armenian civilian population from the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan.

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan emphasised that the Azerbaijani state did not interfere with the residence of the Armenian population in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation. He provided detailed information on the possibility of reintegration of the Armenian residents living in the Garabagh region into the legal and socio-economic field of Azerbaijan, emphasising that the Azerbaijani state did not exert any pressure on the peaceful Armenian population and adding that some Armenians were forcibly evicted from their homes. The Azerbaijani diplomat addressed special attention to the fact that peace, stability, and security in the South Caucasus are possible only through the establishment of good neighbourly relations based on mutual respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries.

Regarding the issue of Russia's participation in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Ambassador P. Bulbuloglu told the guest about the process of adopting trilateral statements with the participation of Russia on November 9, 2020, January 11, and November 26, 2021, as well as October 31, 2022. Also, despite some complaints, he noted the positive role of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation in ending hostilities and maintaining peace and stability in the region.

P. Bulbuloglu expressed concern about the position of Canada, which is under the influence of the strong Armenian diaspora, about the unrealistic, unfair and pro-Armenian statements of some politicians in this country regarding Azerbaijan. He asked the Canadian Ambassador to convey to his leadership concerns about the deterioration of relations between our countries.

At the meeting, which took place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, an exchange of views took place on the processes taking place in the region and issues of mutual interest.

The Canadian Ambassador expressed gratitude to her Azerbaijani counterpart for an interesting and productive meeting and expressed hope for the continued development of relations and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Canada.

At the end, Ambassador Sarah Taylor was presented with a book entitled “Karabakh: Before and After the Occupation”, published by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz