BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has discussed regional security with the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ignazio Cassis.
This is reflected in the report published on the official website of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the report, the discussion was held during an expanded meeting between Bayramov and Cassis.
The ministers discussed the agenda of Azerbaijan-Switzerland bilateral relations, the priorities of Switzerland's OSCE chairmanship, the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation, the situation in the region in the post-conflict period, as well as the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process.
During the meeting, it was noted that next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Switzerland, and this anniversary is an important opportunity to assess the partnership formed over the past 30 years.
The parties emphasized the importance of continuing high-level contacts and regular political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions considered the possibilities of expanding economic cooperation, including through the activities of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
During the meeting, it was stressed that the energy sector is one of the main directions of bilateral economic relations. In this context, the successful activities of SOCAR in Switzerland were evaluated as an example of mutually beneficial cooperation.
The ministers also pointed out that expanding cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science would serve to further strengthen ties between the peoples.
The meeting paid attention to the priorities of the Swiss OSCE chairmanship. The Azerbaijani side highly appreciated the importance the chairmanship attached to the areas of science and diplomacy, innovative technologies, water resources management, energy, and digital security, as well as underscored the importance of these directions in addressing modern challenges.
Furthermore, the mine problem in Azerbaijan was particularly emphasized, and the contribution which can be made by the OSCE, especially its member countries, to Azerbaijan in the mine clearance area was discussed.
The meeting exchanged views on the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process. Bayramov informed his counterpart about the current stage of the peace process, the de facto peace established between the two countries, and the confidence-building measures being implemented.
The meeting also discussed a number of other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
At the end, a press conference was held, during which the ministers made statements and answered questions from media representatives.
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13:14
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has discussed regional security with the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ignazio Cassis.
This is reflected in the post of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on the X social network.
According to the post, the discussion was held during an expanded meeting between Bayramov and Cassis.
The meeting discussed the agenda of Azerbaijan-Switzerland bilateral relations, the priorities of Switzerland's OSCE chairmanship, the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation, the situation in the region in the post-conflict period, as well as the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process.
The ministers noted that next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Switzerland, and this anniversary is an important opportunity to assess the partnership formed over the past three decades.
The meeting emphasized the importance of continuing high-level contacts and regular political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. It was noted that the last political consultations held in Baku in April of this year contributed to the development of cooperation.
The parties considered the possibilities of expanding economic cooperation, including through the activities of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. During the meeting, it was noted that the energy sector is one of the main directions of bilateral economic relations, and the successful activities of SOCAR Energy in Switzerland were evaluated as an example of mutually beneficial cooperation.
The ministers pointed out that expanding cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science would serve to further strengthen ties between the peoples.
The meeting also paid special attention to the priorities of the Swiss OSCE chairmanship. The Azerbaijani side highly appreciated the importance the chairmanship attached to the areas of science and diplomacy, innovative technologies, water resources management, energy, and digital security.
Bayramov said that the OSCE should effectively use the comprehensive security concept and its wide geographical scope to maintain its relevance in an increasingly complex security environment. The minister stressed that Azerbaijan supports effective multilateralism based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect, inclusive dialogue, and consensus.
Speaking about the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process, the minister informed the counterpart about the current stage of the peace process, the actual peace conditions between the two countries, and the confidence-building measures being implemented. He said that the progress achieved in the bilateral format once again confirms the effectiveness of this approach.
The minister also noted Azerbaijan's readiness to continue practical cooperation with the organization in areas of mutual interest and where the OSCE can create added value.
Bayramov emphasized that the territories of Azerbaijan, which are widely contaminated with mines and other explosive ordnance, are one of the most serious humanitarian problems for the country, and noted the importance of practical support from the OSCE in this direction within its mandate and capabilities.
During the meeting, views were exchanged on the situation around Ukraine, the processes taking place in the Middle East, as well as other regional and international security issues.
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11:48
Tête-à-tête meeting between the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Ignazio Cassis, has commenced.
This is reflected in the post of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on the X social network.
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11:39
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has welcomed Ignazio Cassis, Member of the Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE.
This is reflected in the post of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on the X social network.
The post noted that the visit includes discussions on bilateral daily, regional, and international processes between Azerbaijan and Switzerland, as well as issues of cooperation within the OSCE.
