Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan plays a crucial role in the region, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday.

"Both nations gained their independence 20 years ago and are benefiting from this important achievement today," Komorowski said. "This is reflected upon the economic sphere and economic figures in both countries are evidence of that."

He said Azerbaijan has gained even greater respect due to its economic achievements. "For this reason, the interest toward Azerbaijan in business circles is increasing."

The visit by the leader of NATO and European Union member Poland comes after the country at the start of July took over the rotating presidency of the EU.

President Aliyev said he attached great importance to Komorowski’s visit and expressed confidence that it would give a boost to bilateral relations.

"Our relations cover many areas. I am confident that the agreements reached during the visit will give a new incentive to our cooperation," Aliyev said.

"The political ties are at a high level and our economic relations have good prospects as well. Today, you and I exchanged views on issues of cooperation in the energy sector. We want our relations to encompass all areas and Poland’s friendship with Azerbaijan to continue successfully."

After their talks, the two countries’ presidents attended the signing of several agreements. Poland and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on lifting visa regulations for diplomats, a memorandum on cooperation in veterinary services between their agriculture ministries, and a program on collaboration between the culture ministries for 2011-2013.

President Komorowski, asked by an Azerbaijani journalist to comment on the threat posed to the region and Europe by Armenia’s failure to pull out of the Azerbaijani territories occupied since a war in the 1990s, despite UN resolutions urging its withdrawal, said he understood Azerbaijan’s "grief". But he added that the Nagorno Karabakh dispute must be settled by the conflict parties themselves.

Komorowski said Poland supports a peaceful settlement to the long-standing conflict.

"We know how sacred the territorial integrity of states is. But at the same time, the right of nations to self-determination should be taken into consideration."

The talks in Baku were expected to focus, among other issues, on energy cooperation, particularly on future transportation of Azerbaijani oil to Poland and other EU countries, the Polish president’s website said prior to his visit.

On Monday, Komorowski also attended an Azerbaijani-Polish business forum in Baku. The event was joined by about 20 Polish businessmen working in the fields of agriculture and food industry, industries, finance, banking and insurance.

Azerbaijani-Polish trade turnover made up $31.5 million in 2010 and $22.6 million in the first five months of 2011.

After wrapping up his visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, the Polish leader is scheduled to travel on this week to Georgia and Armenia.