President Ilham Aliyev Receives OSCE Secretary General

Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, welcomed OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid today, as reported by various media sources.

During their meeting, Secretary General Schmid congratulated President Aliyev on Azerbaijan’s successful bid to host COP29 and confirmed her participation in the event. She emphasized the strong cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE within the COP29 framework. President Aliyev highlighted that Azerbaijan will host numerous related events, reflecting the country’s commitment to global environmental initiatives.

President Aliyev reiterated Azerbaijan’s role as a former chair of the Non-Aligned Movement and its current position in the Movement’s “Troika.” He emphasized Azerbaijan’s efforts to foster international solidarity and build bridges between different parties, while also maintaining close ties with the European Union.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on Azerbaijan’s green transition policy. President Aliyev outlined the ongoing measures being taken to promote sustainable development. He specifically mentioned Azerbaijan’s focus on the development of small island developing states, revealing efforts in collaboration with the Commonwealth organization to establish a special fund for these nations.

The meeting also addressed regional connectivity. Secretary General Schmid underscored the importance of the Caspian Sea and Black Sea green corridor project, noting the significance of the green ports initiative on the OSCE’s agenda. She announced plans to visit the Alat International Sea Trade Port during her stay in Azerbaijan.

Further discussions included the establishment of a regional environmental monitoring center, with Secretary General Schmid highlighting the OSCE’s commitment to economic and environmental issues and their role in building trust.

Regional peace was another key topic. President Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s dedication to the peace agenda and stressed the necessity of Armenia making constitutional amendments to renounce territorial claims against Azerbaijan for a peace treaty to be signed.

Secretary General Schmid brought up the crucial issue of humanitarian demining. President Aliyev detailed the severe landmine contamination in Azerbaijani territories resulting from Armenia’s past military aggression and occupation, which has led to nearly 370 incidents causing numerous casualties and injuries.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on other pertinent issues on the OSCE’s agenda, further solidifying the ongoing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE.