At the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Eastern Partnership countries in Brussels on December 11, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that mutual recognition and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is the only way to sustainable peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus. 

"As for the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, the preliminary promises were not fulfilled, the agreement was violated, and the mandate was arbitrarily expanded. This mission has failed to achieve its stated objectives of promoting regional stability and confidence-building between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the contrary, it is widely used as a propaganda tool against Azerbaijan," Bayramov pointed out.

According to him, even more destabilizing initiatives are put forward, such as arming Armenia, including through the EU. "Such initiatives undermine the authority of the EU as a neutral mediator and efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a whole. Arming or otherwise using one partner against the other can in no way correspond to the stated goals of the Eastern Partnership," Bayramov noted.

Meeting with Josep Borrell

On December 11, Jeyhun Bayramov met with Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Relations and Security Policy/Vice President of the EU Commission, as part of his business trip to Brussels.

The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan, including the "Eastern Partnership" framework and the region's current situation. At the meeting, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed about the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The positive impact of the recent confidence-building measures on the normalization process between the two countries was noted.

Bayramov said that the mediation efforts of the President of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, in the process of normalization are highly appreciated by Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the biased statements made by some European Union officials undermined the impartial mediator role of the European Union in the said process.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized that establishing neighborly relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the only way to peace, stability, and security in the South Caucasus.

Meeting with the chief political advisor of the President of the Council of the European Union

On the same day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan met with Simon Mordue, the Chief Political Adviser to the President of the Council of the European Union.

During the meeting, various aspects of Azerbaijan-EU cooperation, perspectives of 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 were discussed. In accordance with the memorandum of understanding on strategic partnership in the field of energy signed between the EU and Azerbaijan last year, it was emphasized that Azerbaijan increased energy exports to Europe and played an important role in the energy security of EU member countries.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out that there is a wide 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. In this regard, the minister informed the other side about recent steps that establish peace, stability, and trust between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Bayramov, who gave information about the large-scale restoration and reconstruction activities carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, emphasized that the mine threat continues to threaten this activity and the citizens' safety. "Since November 2020, 340 of our citizens have become victims of mine explosions," he added.

Simon Mordue stressed that as an important strategic partner of the EU, he is interested in deepening cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, transport, and several other fields, and said that the EU will continue to support the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process for the establishment of lasting peace in the region.

Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

On December 11, Jeyhun Bayramov met with Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, within the framework of the meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union Eastern Partnership countries held in Brussels.

The ministers emphasized the importance of friendly and partnership relations between the two countries. The parties exchanged views on cooperation prospects between Azerbaijan and Ukraine in various fields, including transport, energy, and humanitarian fields. Continuation of cooperation on multilateral platforms, as well as activities in several directions within the framework of GUAM, were mentioned.

During the meeting, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed the other party about the recent events in the region and the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece

On December 11, Jeyhun Bayramov met with Giorgos Gerapetritis, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Greece.

At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the current cooperation between Azerbaijan and Greece on bilateral and multilateral platforms, including prospects and the latest events in the region. The parties confirmed that Azerbaijan is a reliable and strategic partner of Europe in the field of energy security and emphasized the exceptional importance of the Southern Gas Corridor, the Trans-Adriatic pipeline, as well as the Greece-Bulgaria Gas Interconnector. In this regard, confidence was expressed that the successful cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy will contribute to the development and stability of the region and will cover other areas of mutual interest.