Spain supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

The Spanish authorities call for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict only within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Enrique Mora, the director-general for foreign policy and security at the Spanish Foreign Ministry, said his country views the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any state as fundamental principles.

"Supporting separatism and attempting to divide a country contradict democratic principles. From this point of view, Spain supports the peaceful settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," he said at a meeting with Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister, Khalaf Khalafov.

Holding talks on the sidelines of political consultations between the Spanish and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministries, the two diplomats discussed several issues of mutual interest.

Regarding the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Khalafov said the unresolved conflict poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region. He believes that effective steps by significant organizations including the UN, the European Union and the OSCE are of great importance for the conflict to be resolved.

The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh was sparked after Armenian troops invaded large swathes of land in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. Following bloody skirmishes, Armenia armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized and historical territory. The conflict has yet to be resolved since Armenia has systematically refused to abide by international calls to withdraw from the Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other adjacent regions.

When it came to Spain and Azerbaijan ties, Khalafov emphasized that Azerbaijan is an important partner for the EU in the South Caucasus.

He welcomed developing cooperation between the two countries, saying "there are favorable opportunities for further progress of relations in political, economic, humanitarian, tourism and other spheres.

"Azerbaijan is interested in establishing a strategic partnership with the European Union, and is confident that Spain will support Azerbaijan's efforts in this regard," Khalafov said.

Expressing his satisfaction with the current level of relations between the two countries, Mora also praised the high potential for development of cooperation. He noted that his country is interested in the soonest official visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Spain.

"Spain is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan both in a bilateral format and within international organizations," Mora added.

Since the establishment of official relations in 1992, Spain and Azerbaijan have enjoyed friendly relations in many fields including politics, economy, culture, tourism and more.