Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, who has arrived in Baku as a part of his tour to the South Caucasus countries, met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Wednesday.

At the meeting the sides voiced satisfaction with the development pace of Slovakia-Azerbaijan relations. Lajcak and Mammadyarov mulled prospects for the development of the bilateral cooperation in economy, energy and energy security, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, Lajcak and Mammadyarov held a press conference where they announced about agreeing to accelerate the process of the preparation of bilateral documents.

Speaking at the press conference, Mammadyarov said thatintensive exchange of views on bilateral and international issues was held during the meeting.

"We discussed economic cooperation, and we believe that it does not meet the opportunities that are available," he said.

In turn, Lajcak said that Slovakia and Azerbaijan have all the possibilities to enhance cooperation to the level of partnership.

"There are a number of specific agreements and steps, to be immediately fulfilled after my visit. We will continue to cooperate also on international issues," Lajcak said.

Regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Lajcak said that Slovakia supports increasing confidence between the conflict parties and preventing the resumption of hostilities.

"We support the continuation of the peace process," he stressed.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

A precarious cease-fire was signed in 1994. However, units of the Armenian armed forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day.