AZERBAIJAN, May 20 - President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, on May 20.

Praising the successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries, President Ilham Aliyev noted that reciprocal visits at the level of heads of state and other levels have contributed to the expansion of bilateral ties. The President of Azerbaijan emphasized the importance of interparliamentary cooperation.

The head of state noted that, following the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, historic opportunities for peace have emerged in the region. Touching on the activities of the Minsk Group co-chairs, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that their efforts did not yield any results, and during that time, the occupation of Azerbaijani territories continued. The head of state noted that there are currently very good and favorable opportunities to advance the peace agenda and mentioned that positive agreements have been reached as part of the bilateral process towards the delimitation and demarcation of borders.

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that Azerbaijan has resolved this conflict. “Thus, the conflict in international relations has been resolved. However, despite this, it is regrettable that new conflict zones are emerging in the world.”

The head of state touched on Daiga Mieriņa’s visit to Karabakh.

The Speaker of the Latvian Saeima expressed her satisfaction with the opportunity to visit Karabakh, noting that they had visited Shusha and other parts of the region.

She highlighted the deeper cultural ties between the Latvian and Azerbaijani peoples, which extend beyond the 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In this context, she fondly recalled that over 100 years ago, Latvian artist Jūlijs Straume lived and worked as a teacher in Shusha, where he created a collection of Azerbaijani carpets.

Daiga Mieriņa also extended her congratulations on Azerbaijan hosting COP29.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the congratulations and mentioned that the President of Latvia would visit Azerbaijan to participate in COP29.

During their meeting, both parties expressed satisfaction with the relations and mutual support between their countries within international organizations. Latvia thanked Azerbaijan for supporting its candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. The meeting also highlighted Latvia's support for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union and NATO, as well as Azerbaijan's contribution to the energy security of EU member states. The role of Azerbaijan in developing the Middle Corridor and its collaborative efforts with regional countries was also noted at the meeting.

The discussion touched on cooperation in agriculture, tourism, and other fields. The Speaker highlighted Latvia’s extensive experience in agriculture and expressed interest in cooperating with Azerbaijan in this sector.