President Ilham Aliyev Meets Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Oxford to Discuss Key Issues
Oxford, The Gulf Observer: President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Federal Republic of Germany at the latter’s request, according to media reports. The meeting, held in Oxford, covered a wide range of topics, emphasizing both bilateral and regional matters.
During the conversation, both leaders fondly recalled President Aliyev’s participation in the High-Level Segment of the 15th Petersberg Climate Dialogue held in April in Berlin, Germany. They highlighted the productive discussions from that event and reiterated the importance of their ongoing dialogue.
Chancellor Scholz expressed his strong support for the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The leaders noted the significance of the joint meeting involving President Aliyev, Chancellor Scholz, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, which took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. This trilateral meeting, initiated by Chancellor Scholz, was a key moment in fostering dialogue between the two nations.
Following the Munich conference, a subsequent meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia was held with the support and hosting of Germany. President Aliyev highlighted the progress achieved in the delimitation and demarcation of borders as part of the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He noted that relevant documents had been agreed upon and that the process would continue.
President Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to the peace agenda, emphasizing the need for a prompt signing of a peace agreement. He stressed that for this to happen, Armenia must amend its constitution to remove any claims against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and provisions envisioning the unification of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region with Armenia. The President reiterated that Armenia must constitutionally renounce its territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
The leaders also discussed the recent meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington, supported by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where similar issues were addressed.
The preparation process for COP29 was another key topic of discussion. Both leaders appreciated and valued the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany in this area. President Aliyev noted Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to build consensus and increase solidarity among countries of the Global South and Global North in connection with COP29.
Azerbaijan’s contribution to Europe’s energy security was highly praised during the meeting. Additionally, the two leaders exchanged views on various aspects of bilateral relations between Germany and Azerbaijan, discussing issues of mutual interest and exploring further cooperation opportunities.
