Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iraq in various fields was high on the agenda of the negotiations held during the visit of the Azerbaijani delegation to Baghdad on February 10.

The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

During the visit, Mammadyarov met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the parties discussed the development of bilateral relations in economy, trade, energy, and education.

The sides also mulled the activities of the intergovernmental commission.

Both officials emphasized that terrorism is a huge threat to the international community, including Azerbaijan and Iraq. They also pointed to the importance of cooperation, and the mobilization of the international community for combating terrorism.

The Azerbaijani FM informed the Iraqi PM about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and pointed to the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council that require the immediate, unconditional, and complete release of Azerbaijan's occupied territories. The resolutions have not been implemented by Armenia yet.

As a result of the occupation of Azerbaijan's lands, around one million people were exposed to a bloody ethnic cleansing, were expelled from their historical lands, and became refugees and IDPs, Mammadyarov said, adding that Armenia consistently shows disrespect for the norms of international law.

Mammadyarov also thanked al-Maliki for Iraq's support for Azerbaijan's fair position in international organizations.

The Iraqi PM, in turn, expressed Baghdad's readiness to cooperate with Azerbaijan in different spheres.

Al-Maliki said Iraq supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, recognizes the violation of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity by Armenia as an aggression, and believes that the decisions and resolutions adopted by international organizations should be fulfilled.

The two countries also signed an agreement on the abolition of the visa regime between Azerbaijan and Iraq for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports.

The document was signed by Mammadyarov and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.

Speaking at the joint press conference that was held afterwards, Mammadyarov said the Southern Gas Corridor project is open for Iraq to transport its gas to the European markets.

"It's a huge project ... and it's open if Iraq is also interested in delivering their own natural gas," Mammadyarov noted.

The gas produced in the second stage of Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source of the Southern Gas Corridor project.

The Azerbaijani FM also said officials in Baghdad had already expressed interest in joining the massive project.

"The project is there, so if any other countries ... want to join the Southern Gas Corridor, including Iraq, who already expressed some interest in this project, we are ready to start the negotiations," the minister added.

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iraq started more than 40 years ago, and Iraq was one of the first countries that opened an embassy in Azerbaijan.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Iraq amounted to $354.19 million in 2013, the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee reported.

A significant part of this volume accounts for $353.64 million worth of goods exported to Iraq. Azerbaijan imported Iraqi products worth $0.55 million.