A parliamentary delegation led by Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has been visiting the Russian Federation since September 21.
During the visit, a parliamentary delegation led by Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 23.
Welcoming Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova and the delegation, Sergey Lavrov expressed confidence that the visit would be a valuable contribution to the further development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations, APA reports.
It was noted that the Russian side appreciates the fact that the delegation of the new Milli Majlis paid one of the first visits to Russia. In general, such visits of high-ranking government officials, including the new Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, to Russia are very important in terms of exchanging views on issues of mutual interest. Sergey Lavrov noted that during the talks with Azerbaijani officials, it was decided to increase joint efforts to resolve the issues raised during the telephone conversation between the Presidents of the two countries - Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev. Russia intends to further deepen relations with Azerbaijan in all spheres, including diplomatic.
The Russian Foreign Minister considered the relations of the Azerbaijani Parliament with the State Duma of the Russian Federal Council and the participation of our delegations in international parliamentary organizations important.
Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said that the Azerbaijani-Russian relations have a centuries-old tradition and have always been distinguished by their characteristics. Russia , one of the first countries to recognize our independence, and Azerbaijan formed a strong partnership that has risen to the level of a strategic partnership over the years. Regular contacts and reliable relations between the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin give dynamism to our relations, which can be characterized as the relations of strategic partners.
Along with the perfect political dialogue, economic relations between our countries are still developing dynamically. Russia is one of the main trade partners of our country.
Noting the rapid expansion of the geography of interregional cooperation between the two countries, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova said that today Azerbaijan actively cooperates with the subjects of the Russian Federation - Dagestan and Tatarstan, Astrakhan, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Ulyanovsk, Yekaterinburg, Vladimir, Volgograd and others.
The speaker noted that the parliaments of our countries also play an important role in the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. Today, the relations between the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, based on the provisions of the Cooperation Agreement of January 9, 2001, are becoming more dynamic. The national parliamentary delegations of Azerbaijan and Russia have traditionally supported each other on the most important and topical issues and successfully cooperate within various international organizations.
There are friendship groups in the Milli Majlis and the Federal Assembly, and there is a permanent bilateral interparliamentary commission between the institutions.
The chairman noted that Azerbaijan is the country with the largest number of ethnic Russians in the South Caucasus. There is a strong legal framework between our countries, consisting of more than 200 bilateral documents.
These include the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Security between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Baku Declaration of Friendship and Strategic Cooperation.
The Speaker of the Milli Majlis said that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh continues to create serious obstacles to any development in the region. Azerbaijan is committed to a peaceful political solution to the conflict. The settlement of the conflict must be within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity on the basis of the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Helsinki Final Act.
In general, against the background of the ineffective activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, the co-chair of this group, is actively involved in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Russian side has made great efforts in this area.
At the same time, the recent absurd statements of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian called "the. seven conditions" that a compromise solution to the conflict can be discussed only if Azerbaijan recognizes the right of the Nagorno-Karabakh people to self-determination thwart all efforts of the world community to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Also, N. Pashinian’s statements on the joining of the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh to the negotiation process cannot withstand criticism.
Giving a brief excursion to the history of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis noted that on May 14, 1805, the Kurakchay Treaty was signed in Azerbaijan, in the Kurakchay settlement near the city of Ganja. The agreement was signed by Karabakh Khan Ibrahimkhalil Khan and General of the Russian Empire Pavel Sisianov. Later, on the basis of the Gulustan treaties of 1813 and the Turkmenchay treaties of 1828, other territories of Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was established in Azerbaijan in 1918 and existed for two years. In 1920, as it is known, the Soviet government was established in Azerbaijan.
A year later, in 1921, the Caucasus Bureau of the Bolshevik Party decided to keep Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. It is not about "handing over", as some false Armenian sources claim, but about "holding".
In 1923, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan adopted a decree on the establishment of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region within Azerbaijan. The standard of living here was higher than in other regions of the country. No one has ever been discriminated against on the basis of nationality or religion.
The Armenian leadership must not forget that in the modern world, the fact of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia will not be concealed by describing it as "the common security system of Armenia and Artsakh." In particular, Armenia will not be able to hide the fact of occupation after the start of fighting in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan and Armenia's targeting of infrastructure facilities outside of Karabakh, which are important for the region as a whole.
All this is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949 and the Additional Protocol of June 8, 1977, and is considered a war crime. Contrary to these conventions, the illegal settlement of Syrian and Lebanese refugees by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan today is of particular concern. In any case, Azerbaijan will liberate its lands from occupation. The Azerbaijani people will never allow the establishment of a second Armenian state on its territory.
Sergey Lavrov said in connection with the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, supports the solution of the problem and spares no effort in this area. Russia supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova expressed confidence that Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will do everything possible to mediate in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
The visit of the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to the Russian Federation continues.
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The meeting of the delegation led by the Azerbaijani Parliament chairperson Sahiba Gafarova with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has started, press service of the Parliament told APA.
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