Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov on Wednesday received the newly appointed Iraqi Ambassador in Baku Hayder Shiya Ghubeshi Albarrak.

Asadov highly assessed the historical, religious and cultural relations between the two countries.

According to him, Azerbaijan joined the U.S.-led international anti-terror coalition since the very beginning and sent its peacekeepers to Iraq to support efforts on ensuring security and stability in the post-war country. "Azerbaijani peacekeepers are ready to provide further assistance to Iraq."

The speaker said, further, that Azerbaijan’s government was keen on expanding its relations with Iraq. From this viewpoint, it is pivotal to develop bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he said.

Regarding cooperation within international organizations, Asadov stressed that Iraq defends Baku’s position at the events of the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. He praised the country’s support during a UN General Assembly vote on a draft resolution concerning the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The Iraqi ambassador said his country supported further deepening of ties between the two countries and nations. Albarrak said he would spare no effort to strengthen relations that dwell upon common historical roots, saying this would be a top priority in his work.

The parties emphasized at the meeting the importance of expanding bilateral economic and trade relations, underlining that establishing a direct air link between Azerbaijan and Iraq and simplifying travel between the two countries could greatly contribute to these efforts.

Affirming Iraq’s stance on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the ambassador vowed that Iraq would continue supporting Baku’s position on the issue.