Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Visits Armenia for Border Delimitation Talks

A delegation from Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, arrived in Armenia this morning for high-level discussions on border delimitation and cooperation between the two countries. The visit was confirmed by Armenia’s Foreign Ministry. Mustafayev also serves as the head of Azerbaijan’s commission on border delimitation.

According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, the visit was part of the 13th meeting of the commissions on the delimitation of the state border and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The meeting was co-chaired by Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev.

“It was noted with satisfaction that the 13th meeting of the commissions is once again being held in the territory of one of the parties, in the Republic of Armenia, in Aghveran.

The Azerbaijani delegation stayed at a hotel in Aghveran, where the area was secured and the meeting was closed to journalists. Later in the day, more than ten vehicles accompanying Mustafayev left the hotel. Most of the cars carried state license plates, and among them was also a private vehicle associated with Samvel Aleksanyan. The delegation departed Armenia in the evening, leaving from Zvartnots International Airport on an Azerbaijan Airlines flight to Baku.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged detailed views on organizational and technical issues related to the delimitation process.

The sides agreed upon and exchanged draft texts of the following guidelines on the implementation of delimitation work:

 ‘Guidelines on the procedures for the work of expert groups on delimitation of the state border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan,’

 ‘Guidelines on the procedures for creating maps for the delimitation of the state border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan,’

 ‘Guidelines on the procedures for drafting and publishing documents related to the delimitation of the state border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.’

The sides agreed to submit the guidelines to their respective governments for approval,” the official statement said.

Grigoryan and Mustafayev also “exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.”

“It was noted that the transit of cargo to the Republic of Armenia through the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan is being successfully carried out and continues at present.

It was also noted with satisfaction that Azerbaijan is supplying petroleum products to Armenia, which indicates the formation of trade and economic ties between the two countries.

A discussion was also held with the participation of representatives of business circles of the two sides on issues related to the development of trade and economic cooperation, mutual supply of goods and services, and transit transportation,” the Foreign Ministry statement said. “It was particularly emphasized that the achieved results were made possible thanks to the political will of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.”

A protocol was signed at the end of the meeting, and both sides agreed to coordinate the date of the next round of talks, which is expected to take place in Azerbaijan.

A similar statement was issued by the Azerbaijani side. The previous meeting of the delimitation commissions took place in Gabala in November last year, where it was agreed that the next session would be held in Armenia.

Economic cooperation was also pointed out in recent months. Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan has stated that trade between the two countries could expand in the near future. He noted that exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan may include aluminum, aluminum foil, ferromolybdenum, fruits and vegetables, certain types of beverages, and textile products.

Earlier this month, Papoyan said that Azerbaijan had already submitted a request to import foil from Armenia. “Specifically for foil, the Azerbaijani side requested a specific price, and our producer provided it,” the minister said.

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