Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the European Council of the European Union Simon Mordue on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

During the meeting, the sides discussed various aspects of Azerbaijan-EU cooperation, prospects for cooperation on the agreements reached with the EU in the field of energy security, communications and transport, as well as the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process and the current regional situation.

They emphasized that in accordance with “the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan” last year, Azerbaijan had increased energy exports to Europe and played an important role in energy security of EU member countries.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out that there is a great potential for achieving real progress in the peace process after the termination of the presence of the Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijani territories as a result of the anti-terrorist measures carried out in the region in September of this year. The minister informed Simon Mordue about the recent steps that serve to establish peace and stability, as well as confidence between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Highlighting the large-scale restoration and reconstruction works carried out in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories, FM Bayramov emphasized that the mine threat continues to pose a threat to this activity, as well as the safety of Azerbaijani citizens. He noted that since November 2020, 340 Azerbaijani citizens had become victims of mine explosions.

Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the European Council of the European Union Simon Mordue underlined that the EU is interested in deepening cooperation with Azerbaijan as an important strategic partner in energy, transport and a number of other spheres, adding that the EU will continue to support the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process to establish lasting peace in the region.

During the meeting, the sides discussed cooperation, normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as other issues of mutual interest.