Baku: A meeting in an expanded format was held between Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignazio Cassis, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a post on X, APA reports. The discussions focused on the Azerbaijan-Switzerland bilateral agenda, OSCE cooperation, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the Ministers highlighted the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Switzerland next year as a significant milestone. They emphasized maintaining high-level contacts and regular political consultations, with the latest round held in Baku in April being a crucial step. Economic cooperation, particularly through the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, was also discussed, with a focus on the energy sector and SOCAR Energy's operations in Switzerland as key elements of economic ties.
The meeting underscored the importance of enhancing cultural, educational, and scientific cooperation to strengthen people-to-people ties. Switzerland's priorities as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, including science and diplomacy, innovative technologies, and energy security, were welcomed by Azerbaijan. Minister Bayramov stressed the need for the OSCE to utilize its comprehensive security concept amid a complex regional security environment and reaffirmed Azerbaijan's support for effective multilateralism.
On the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process, Minister Bayramov shared updates on the peace process and confidence-building measures, highlighting the bilateral format's effectiveness. He also addressed the humanitarian challenge posed by landmine contamination in Azerbaijan, seeking practical OSCE support in this area.
Discussions also included global issues such as the situation in Ukraine and developments in the Middle East. The tªte- -tªte meeting between Minister Bayramov and Ignazio Cassis commenced following the main meeting, focusing further on bilateral relations and OSCE cooperation.