Croatian delegation visits Azerbaijan
By Nazrin Gadimova
Croatian delegation headed by Speaker of Croatian Parliament Josip Leko visited Azerbaijan on July 5.
The purpose of the visit was to discuss the bilateral
cooperation and participation at the official reception on the
occasion of the country's accession to the EU.
Leko believes that cooperation between the two countries in the
political, humanitarian and economic fields are on the rise and
this visit will give impetus to further development of the
relations.
Speaker of Croatian Parliament said the visit also demonstrates the presence of very strong friendly ties between the two countries. Friendship groups are functioning in parliaments of Azerbaijan and Croatia. Both sides are interested in boosting ties between these two groups.
Regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict Leko said that Croatia supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and will always adhere to this position.
"Croatia does not recognize the unilateral referendums and such attempts over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.
Leko noted that his country supports the resolution of the conflict by peaceful means in accordance with international laws and principles, and supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group in this direction.
Leader of the Croatian delegation noted that the visit would provide an opportunity to negotiate with Azerbaijan in many areas.
Baku hosted the ceremony dedicated to the two dates, which are very important for Croatia - the National Day of Croatia and the country's accession to the European Union.
During the visit, Croatian delegation met with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
Croatia plans to open its embassy in Baku shortly and this will contribute to future development of Azerbaijan-Croatia relations.