On October 12, 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov attended the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS held in Astana, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Paralel.Az.

At first, the meeting started in a limited format, and then it continued in an expanded format.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov addressed the limited-format meeting. In his speech, the minister expressed his gratitude to Kazakhstan, as the chairman country, for organizing the meeting at a high level for mutual activity within the framework of the CIS, as well as the constructive exchange of ideas on current issues of the regional and international agenda. Noting that security issues are more relevant in joint action against the challenges and threats of the modern world, the minister noted the importance of conducting consultations at various levels between interested parties within the framework of the CIS. In particular, the minister stressed the importance of cooperation in the humanitarian field, which is traditionally an effective means of strengthening trust and mutual understanding between countries.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed the meeting participants about the current situation against the backdrop of new realities in the region after the 44-day war, including the issues related to the advancement of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He said that the end of the conflict created new opportunities to achieve long-term peace and stability in the region through the restoration of economic and communication relations.

During the speech, it was also brought to the attention of the meeting participants that the tripartite statements have not yet been fully implemented by Armenia, and the Armenian soldiers have not been fully withdrawn from Azerbaijan’s territories. Also, it was noted that the provocations by Armenia were continued, and it was emphasized that another military provocation, which started on September 13-14 with an attempt to mine the security roads of the Azerbaijani forces in the border zone, caused numerous casualties.

It was brought to attention that these actions of Armenia undermine efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region. The Minister stated that the Republic of Azerbaijan expects real steps to be taken by Armenia in the direction of normalizing relations and advancing the negotiation process and that our country is determined to continue its efforts in this regard.