Azernews.Az

BUENOS AIRES– Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timerman received the first Azerbaijani Ambassador to the country, Mammad Ahmadzadeh, on Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The ambassador said Azerbaijan's foreign policy is aimed at ensuring the country’s national interests and developing mutually beneficial and friendly relations with all countries.

Ahmadzadeh noted that the most important issue of Azerbaijan's foreign policy is the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He informed the Argentinian minister about the Armenian occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory. As a result, about one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and internally displaced persons, and Azerbaijan's historical and cultural monuments have been destroyed in the occupied territories, Ahmadzadeh said.

He said the geographic scope of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic representation was increasingly expanding, saying the country’s embassy in Argentina was its first-ever diplomatic mission in South America.

Timerman said the embassy’s opening would give an impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

He said Argentina was interested in cooperating with Azerbaijan and that the existing opportunities should be capitalized upon.

Timerman said that Argentina possesses extensive experience in the agricultural sector and is willing to share it with Azerbaijan.

The parties discussed bilateral high-level visits, development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economics, culture, humanitarian aid and education. The importance of public diplomacy was also emphasized.

Argentina’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alberto D'Alotto is due to visit Azerbaijan on November 24, the Argentinan Foreign Ministry said.

Ambassador Ahmadzadeh is expected to submit his credentials to President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on November 1.