Azerbaijani speaker: Armed conflicts significantly limit co-op in region

Armed conflicts significantly limit opportunities for cooperation in the region, Azerbaijani parliament speaker Ogtay Asadov said at the 53rd meeting of the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), Trend reports June 20.

Asadov noted that Azerbaijan has been suffering from Armenian military aggression and occupation for more than 25 years.

"We are confident that armed conflicts will find the earliest possible solution based on the principles and norms of international law, in particular the principle of the inviolability of borders and the territorial integrity of states,” he said.

He added that holding the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly again, seven years later, in Baku and dedicating it to energy issues of the Black Sea region is symbolic.

"Large energy and transport projects implemented over the past seven years with the active participation of Azerbaijan have played an important role in changing the region’s economy,” he said. "Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, TANAP and other transnational projects that are excellent examples of international and regional cooperation play an important role in shaping the economic map not only of the region, but also of the European continent, and contribute to its energy security.”