Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has held talks with Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who is visiting Baku in his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
According to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, the expanded-format meeting focused on bilateral relations, Switzerland's OSCE chairmanship priorities, Azerbaijan's cooperation with the organisation, and regional security issues, including the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process, Caliber.Az reports.
The ministers noted that Azerbaijan and Switzerland will mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year and described the milestone as an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. They also stressed the importance of maintaining regular high-level contacts and political consultations between the two countries' foreign ministries.
Economic cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, with both sides highlighting the work of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and describing the energy sector as a key pillar of bilateral relations. The ministers also pointed to SOCAR Energy's operations in Switzerland as an example of successful economic partnership.
The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in culture, education and science to deepen people-to-people ties.
Bayramov also welcomed Switzerland's priorities as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, including science diplomacy, innovative technologies, water resource management, energy security and digital security.
During the meeting, Bayramov said the OSCE should make full use of its comprehensive security framework and broad membership to remain relevant in addressing regional security challenges. He reiterated Azerbaijan's support for effective multilateral cooperation based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect, inclusive dialogue and consensus.
On relations with Armenia, Bayramov briefed Cassis on the current stage of the normalisation process, describing the bilateral dialogue as effective and highlighting confidence-building measures and what he called the de facto peace established between the two countries.
The Azerbaijani foreign minister also reaffirmed Baku's readiness to continue practical cooperation with the OSCE in areas where the organisation can provide expertise and added value.
Bayramov further raised the issue of landmine contamination in Azerbaijan, describing explosive remnants of war as one of the country's most serious humanitarian challenges and calling for practical OSCE support within the organisation's mandate.
The ministers also exchanged views on the war in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East and other regional and international security issues, the Foreign Ministry said.
By Sabina Mammadli
