Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister met the visiting Mexican parliamentary delegation on January 14 to discuss bilateral relations.

The delegation was led by chair of the foreign relations committee of the Mexican Senate Gabriela Cuevas Barrón

Khalaf Khalafov said Azerbaijan attached great importance to the development of relations with the Latin American countries, including Mexico, the Ministry said.

He also said there were ample opportunities for deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Khalafov hailed the current state of bilateral ties, and stressed the important role of the inter-parliamentary relations in developing cooperation.

He also praised the documents adopted by the Mexican Senate on the Khojaly massacre and the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

Armenian armed forces, supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment massacred Azerbaijani population in Khojaly 1992, which claimed the life of 613 civilians, including 106 women, 70 elderly, and 83 children. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, and 25 children lost both parents, while 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

Barron, in turn, hailed Azerbaijan's achievements over the past 10 years.

The sides also discussed opportunities for expanding cooperation in economic, cultural, tourism, humanitarian, and energy fields, and exchanging experience.

Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Hijran Huseynova also received the Mexican delegation on January 14.

Huseynova highlighted gender policy in Azerbaijan, as well as efforts to strengthen the protection of women`s rights.

She stressed the importance of cooperation with Mexico on this front.

The sides also discussed prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Mexico in tackling family, women, and children problems.

The Mexican parliamentary delegation discussed possible ways to develop bilateral ties between the two countries with the Azerbaijani parliament members on January 13.

Mexico recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Azerbaijan's Embassy in Mexico was established in 2006.