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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting addressed Azerbaijan–Finland bilateral relations, Finland’s OSCE chairmanship priorities, challenges within the organization, and the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the OSCE. Discussions also covered the post-conflict regional situation and the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of previous meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Finland — held in Baku during COP29 and in New York during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week — noting their positive contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.

Bayramov highlighted that Finland’s OSCE chairmanship coincides with a period of complex security challenges in Europe, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the OSCE’s relevance and adaptability as a multilateral platform for dialogue.

He also briefed Valtonen on reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, the return of internally displaced persons, and the ongoing mine threat.

The ministers discussed progress in the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace process, with Bayramov stressing the significance of the August 8, 2025, Washington meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan, the US, and Armenia, and the joint declaration signed there. He reiterated the need to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan from the Armenian constitution as a prerequisite for a lasting peace.

The sides also discussed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, emphasizing its role in restoring regional transport and economic ties.

Both parties positively assessed the decision to suspend outdated OSCE institutions, including the Minsk Process, the Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, and the High-Level Planning Group, considering them no longer relevant in the post-conflict context.

Bayramov emphasized the need to advance the Azerbaijan Cooperation Program and underscored the importance of practical cooperation in mine clearance, environmental assessment, and cybersecurity.

He also welcomed OSCE initiatives in the economic and environmental spheres, noting the success of the “Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region” project initiated by Azerbaijan, which has now entered its third phase.

Concluding the meeting, Bayramov conveyed his best wishes for Finland’s OSCE chairmanship, expressing hope that it will contribute to revitalizing multilateral dialogue and strengthening cooperative mechanisms within the organization.

The meeting concluded with a comprehensive exchange on a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.