Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who was in Türkiye to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, lauded a recent meeting with his Armenian counterpart. He stated that while specific solutions were not achieved for both parties during the discussions between him and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, the meeting proved valuable in enhancing the understanding of the situation and establishing a foundation for future engagements.
"The parties agreed that the contacts should be continued," Bayramov stated at the forum.
Highlighting the importance of face-to-face meetings in peace negotiations, Bayramov said: "I believe that the two-day negotiations were generally beneficial. Unlike previous negotiations, we did not discuss draft texts or specific articles. There are a few open issues and approaches on which the parties did not reach an agreement. We dedicated our two days to the negotiation of these issues." Bayramov mentioned that in previous negotiations, Armenia emphasized the rights of Armenians in Karabakh and had a special expectation in this regard.
Azerbaijan, on the other hand, argued that the peace agreement should regulate the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and that issues related to Armenians in Azerbaijani territories are a domestic matter. Azerbaijan demanded the withdrawal of illegal Armenian forces from its territory, which Armenia claimed it couldn't control. Bayramov stated that this issue is no longer on the negotiation table after the counterterrorism operation on Sept. 19, which ended the presence of illegal armed forces and dissolved the illegal regime. Armenia does not bring up this issue in the negotiations.
Bayramov expressed the desire to sign an agreement with Armenia within the framework of international legal rules. "Such an agreement should be signed that is sustainable and does not leave any open issues in the future," Bayramov said. He also said that establishing a friendship relationship based on the principle of not interfering in each other's internal affairs and mutual respect is a priority in Azerbaijani diplomacy.
"However, it is not possible to establish relations with every state at the same level. There are states with which every state has better relations. The relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan are unprecedented in the world. Today, we witness the increasing cooperation among member countries of the Turkic Council in the broader Turkish geography," he said.
Bayramov also touched upon the military and defense industry cooperation between Ankara and Baku. "The Azerbaijani army is being restructured in accordance with the Turkish army model. Concrete reforms and changes are being made in this regard. The two countries conduct numerous joint exercises every year. Defense is a matter of national security for every state. Ensuring independence in terms of weapons and ammunition is crucial for every state. There are very few countries in the world that fully meet their defense needs with their own production. Türkiye's success in this regard is exemplary worldwide. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that they increased the domesticity rate in the defense industry from 20% to 80%. This is a significant indicator. Very few countries can achieve this. Azerbaijan is also taking concrete steps to meet its military needs. There are various methods of cooperation and integration, such as purchasing weapons from Türkiye, joint production with Turkish companies in Azerbaijan, and the participation of Azerbaijani companies and experts in projects of Turkish companies in Türkiye," he said.
