Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons Sampietro on September 3, while the OSCE official also held separate talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and members of the country’s parliamentary delegation.

Aliyev and Pons Sampietro addressed Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, regional security, humanitarian demining and intercultural dialogue.

Pons Sampietro congratulated Aliyev on progress in the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that one of the conflicts in the OSCE area had been resolved and lasting peace secured in the region.

Aliyev thanked him for the congratulations but criticized the record of the OSCE Minsk Group, saying it had failed to produce results during the nearly 30 years it was responsible for facilitating a settlement. He also noted that UN Security Council resolutions calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territories had not been implemented. 

The two sides expressed satisfaction with political contacts between Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to developments across the wider OSCE area. 

The mine issue was another major subject. Pons Sampietro referred to the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku, titled “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements,” and said the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly had addressed the mine problem as part of its own agenda.

In a separate meeting with Bayramov, the Azerbaijani foreign minister updated Pons Sampietro on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agenda, regional security and Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The foreign minister and Pons Sampietro further discussed energy and transport security. Bayramov highlighted Azerbaijan’s role as an energy supplier to Europe, efforts to diversify energy sources and routes, and the development of green-energy projects.

The Middle Corridor was another area of discussion, with attention given to transport and logistics links between Europe and Central Asia through the Caspian Sea. The sides considered the opening of regional communications and their potential contribution to economic development and stability.

Members of Azerbaijan’s delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly separately briefed Pons Sampietro on the normalization process, regional economic opportunities and the importance of international dialogue. Gaya Mammadov described the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia as a major achievement, while Azay Guliyev, Sevinj Fataliyeva and Tural Ganjaliyev talked about new geopolitical realities and regional transport and logistics projects.

Pons Sampietro praised the peacebuilding process in the South Caucasus and stressed the need for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to adapt to changing geopolitical conditions while supporting lasting peace in the region.