President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs delivered press statements

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs delivered press statements on April 22.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made the statement first.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Mr. President,

Dear guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Once again, Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan. I'm very glad that you accepted my invitation and are visiting our country on an official visit. You have been in Azerbaijan many times in your previous capacity, but as President, this is the first time. I have very good memories of our previous meetings, including last January in Davos. Once again, thank you for being with us. I am sure that the visit will strengthen bilateral relations between our countries and will create new opportunities for cooperation in different areas.

We discussed broadly with the President, in a tête-à-tête meeting and with the participation of delegations, different aspects of our bilateral agenda as well as issues of international importance. We are glad that we have a very solid framework for our cooperation. The Declaration on a Strategic Partnership between our countries, signed nine years ago, creates a legal framework and elevates our relations to a very high level. Based on that, we have been working closely to develop partnership in different areas.

Just a week ago, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission met in Azerbaijan - in Garabagh, in Shusha - and we listened to the information of the co-chairs about very promising plans and a lot of things to be done together. Today’s business forum is another demonstration of the huge potential for doing business, finding opportunities for mutual investments, and creating joint manufacturing, among others. I looked at the list of participants. There is broad representation from both sides. Hopefully, this interaction will result in practical contracts.

We also agreed that we will keep each other informed about plans, programs, and investment opportunities so that companies from both countries can have access to information and plan their activities. Investments in both countries, I think, can bring very tangible results. Azerbaijani investors, whether state or private, are ready to engage in this kind of activity, and I hope that the business forum will be a real breakthrough in increasing the volume of our mutual trade, which is, unfortunately, still somewhat modest.

Another issue that we also agreed to explore is direct flight connections, especially in these times when there are certain disruptions and shortages of jet fuel for some airlines, which fortunately Azerbaijani airlines do not suffer from. This could be another opportunity.

Of course, people-to-people contacts and education are important. We were glad to hear that more than 450 Azerbaijani students are studying in Latvia, and I am sure that all of them enjoy staying in your beautiful country. I remember my numerous visits, and I want to congratulate you on all the achievements in the development of your country.

We also discussed security issues and regional developments in the Southern Caucasus and the Baltic region - things are happening around us. I informed Mr. President about the latest developments on the peace track between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is very promising. In fact, we have de facto peace since last August, when both countries were invited by President Trump to the White House and signed a Joint Declaration, and the foreign ministers initialed the text of the peace agreement. Since then, there have been many positive developments in the peace process, including the beginning of trade, particularly the supply of fuel products from Azerbaijan to Armenia, as well as meetings between representatives of civil society and media representatives, which also contribute to creating a normal atmosphere between countries that were at war for many years. This is an example that demonstrates that only political will, political wisdom, and a strategic vision for the future can deliver deliberate development. Either you continue endless war or wars, or you stop at some point when you have achieved what you wanted based on international law, and then demonstrate readiness for peace. I think this example can be important for those countries that are still at war.

Once again, I would like to say that relations between our countries are based on a very solid framework. An important part of this is also our personal relations with Mr. President. We have known each other for many years, I think, maybe for some 20 years or something. I am really very glad, from a personal point of view, to host our dear friend and his delegation in Baku. Once again, welcome, and I wish you a pleasant stay.

x x x

Then, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs made the statement.

Statement by President Edgars Rinkēvičs

- Thank you very much, Mr. President.

First of all, I want to express gratitude on behalf of the Latvian delegation and myself for your tremendous hospitality and warm reception.

I think that the discussions we have had today were very positive, very pragmatic, and oriented towards future cooperation.

My official visit to Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, actually reaffirms the principles of our strategic partnership, which was signed in 2017.

I think that also in today’s Statement, which we both adopted, we have outlined how we want our strategic partnership to proceed.

Let me also say that my delegation includes a number of officials—the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior, and the Chief of Border Guard—but there is also a large business delegation. I am very much looking forward to the business forum that is going to take place later today here in Baku, in order to facilitate economic cooperation.

When it comes to economic cooperation, I agree very much with your assessment, which is a very diplomatic and modest one: our trade needs to be increased. I do believe that there are plenty of opportunities in the fields of the defense industry, transportation, and pharmaceuticals, and we also discussed some very practical ways to share our experience.

As you know, Latvia is a country of forests, and we discussed the plans that you have set, Mr. President, regarding expanding forests in both the modernization and reconstruction of Garabagh, but also in a wider sense. Here, I believe that our advice and experience could be helpful, and we have tasked our respective ministers to work in this field.

Also, the Intergovernmental Commission that met here in Azerbaijan, in Shusha, last week has already discussed some practical issues. I do hope that we will be able to see practical results from both the work of the Commission and the ideas and decisions we have exchanged today.

Let me also turn to other topics that I believe are very important.

First, I want to congratulate you, Mr. President, and all the people of Azerbaijan on the peace treaty that has been initialed between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We very much look forward to the speedy progress in this regard. We very much support this process and your stance, and we do hope that we will see the conclusion of the treaty, which is important for the security not only of the region but also of the whole world.

And also, that’s another thing I want to stress. We also see positive steps in cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union. We discussed one particular issue where I want to stress our full support—visa liberalization. We can discuss many things, including connectivity, transportation, and direct flights, but it is important that citizens of Azerbaijan enjoy broader access to the European Union, and that European citizens also enjoy access to your beautiful country. There is tremendous potential not only for business but also for people-to-people contacts and tourism.

Of course, we see the role of Azerbaijan, especially in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and in the energy field, as having strategic value not only for Latvia but also for the European Union in general.

Finally, let me say that we, as presidents, discussed regional developments extensively. We very much value the humanitarian assistance that Azerbaijan has provided to Ukraine, but we also listen carefully to what Mr. President and his team have to say about regional developments regarding Iran and the Middle East. I also used this opportunity to express Latvia’s full solidarity with Azerbaijan regarding recent drone attacks against Azerbaijan.

We discussed ways of what can and should be done to normalize the situation. Latvia, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, stands ready to work and listen with all countries, and the voice and wisdom of Azerbaijan are very important when it comes to regional issues.

Mr. President, as you said, we have met many times—mostly when I visited Baku as Foreign Minister, then in Davos last year, and now I am very delighted to be on this official visit.

Let me just say that we very much look forward to welcoming you in Riga. We just counted that it has now been almost 10 years since your last visit. We had the COVID years and some other issues, but exchanges like this are always beneficial for both our countries. Exchanges like that, and the friendship we have, also facilitate political, economic, and cultural exchanges.

On a more personal note, my first time in Baku in Azerbaijan was in 2002. I have since visited many times—this is my sixth or seventh visit, I have lost count. I am always amazed to see how the country, and especially the capital—because ministers and presidents normally do not see much outside the capital—is developing. We know that this is also due to your personal attention and involvement.

Let me conclude by wishing you well, Mr. President, and all the people of Azerbaijan. I very much look forward to further close cooperation, both today and in future meetings beyond this official visit.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.