President Ilham Aliyev: It is long overdue to officially terminate OSCE Minsk Group’s activities APA
Day: June 21, 2024
There is significant potential for trade and economic cooperation between the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan, noted the Director for Energy Strategy and International Cooperation of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade Petr Binhack, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
“The priority sectors for the Czech Republic in Azerbaijan include energy, engineering, transportation infrastructure development, healthcare, agriculture, and the food industry,” he said.
This cooperation in the energy sector encompasses both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. “Azerbaijan already holds a share in oil and gas imports to the EU, and we hope this share will increase. The general aim of the EU, and specifically the Czech Republic, is to phase out supplies of Russian oil and gas. We see the potential for an increase in the supply of Azerbaijani oil and gas to the CEE region”.
At the moment, the Czech Republic is among the top five buyers of Azerbaijani oil.
“We have proved we are serious in this and now construction is underway for the extension of the capacity of the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) which connects to the Ingolstadt–Kralupy–Litvínov (IKL) pipeline. This pipeline already brings almost two million tons of Azerbaijani oil to the Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery. It accounts for approximately 25 percent of oil consumption in the Czech Republic. With the increased capacity of the TAL pipeline, we hope to eliminate the remaining 50 percent of our supplies, which currently come from the Russian Federation,” Petr Binhack elaborated.
Discussing gas, a representative from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized that Czechia firmly supports EU efforts to strengthen internal gas infrastructure, whether through routes via the Western Balkans or LNG terminals in Northwestern Europe.
“We are certainly supportive of diversification projects and recognize the importance of alternative routes. We do not believe that investing in new infrastructure or enhancing existing infrastructure creates the risk of a lock-in effect. Our ultimate goal is to replace Russian supplies, so it’s not a matter of increasing gas consumption that would compromise our climate goals by 2030 or 2050. Currently, even if consumption remains stable or slightly decreases, we still see room for new supplies as we phase out Russian supplies,” he noted.
He added that gas consumption in the Czech Republic in 2023 decreased to 7 billion cubic meters, down from the previous level of 9.5 billion cubic meters per year. “This reduction is due to the COVID crisis, the energy crisis, additional demand reduction measures, and energy efficiency improvements. We are actively seeking to diversify our energy supply”.
Petr Binhack pointed out that up until 2022, the Czech Republic was almost entirely reliant on Russian gas imports. However, in recent years, it has diversified its sources by increasing LNG imports from several Western European countries, the US, and other nations. “It is in our interests to attract as many alternative suppliers as possible, and Azerbaijan certainly plays a significant role in this strategy. A lot will depend on the infrastructure”.
He stated that the Czech government supports Czech companies investing in Azerbaijan, recognizing their participation in projects as holding substantial potential for mutual benefit.
“Czech companies, whether in development, engineering, or technology production, are very interested in ambitious renewable energy development plans of Azerbaijan. These plans, as a result of energy sector developments, are very promising,” Binhack said.
He reminded that there is a Czech company working on hydropower plants. “We believe this cooperation holds a great potential. Additionally, cooperation on developing solar power plants is of interest, with several Czech companies particularly keen. For the Czech Republic, it’s crucial to develop renewables domestically and to share our lessons learned regarding the integration of renewables. This aspect represents a new field for cooperation, involving not only physical projects and technology transfer but also sharing best practices for managing energy transition. This includes integrating renewables, battery storage, and other flexibility options like hydro or power-to-gas into the energy sector”.
According to Binhack, the prospects for cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of technology and innovation are highly promising.
“The Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Azerbaijan has shown significant interest in collaborating with Czech partners, particularly in knowledge transfer and the adoption of advanced technologies. I would argue that the technology sector is one of the most important sectors for the Czech Republic,” he added.
He also mentioned recent negotiations between representatives of the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics and relevant Azerbaijani institutions regarding potential projects in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). “This is a very promising sector with potentially high returns”.
Technological innovations play a vital role in climate protection. Czechia has committed to climate goals and looks forward to participating in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November in Baku.
According to Petr Binhak, Czechia is ready to discuss ambitious, nationally determined contributions (NDCs) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “Defining our NDCs and embracing the decarbonization process, alongside adapting our economy, will help us achieve our ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2050”.
He clarified that Czechia is currently in the process of reassessing and adopting a national energy strategy, a national climate strategy, and national energy and climate plans for 2030.
“Our ongoing plans essentially serve as roadmaps to reach our climate and energy objectives by 2030 and 2050. Our overarching aim is achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” Petr Binhak concluded.
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The Baku Initiative Group will organize another conference dedicated to the fight against colonialism on Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.
The conference will be held as part of the annual meeting of the Special Committee – C24, created with regard to the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples.
The conference, themed “Towards Independence and Fundamental Freedoms: C24’s Role in Ending Colonialism,” will bring together officials from the territories colonized by France and the Netherlands, as well as representatives from Corsica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Maohi Nui (French Polynesia), Kanaki (New Caledonia), as well as Saint Martin, Bonaire, and over 40 officials, leaders of independence movements, decolonization experts, MPs and researchers from the United States, France, Brazil, the Union of the Gambian Islands and the Netherlands.
Unlike international conferences organized by the Baku Initiative Group earlier, representatives of Saint Martin and Bonaire, which are colonies of the Netherlands, will participate and speak for the first time in this event.
At the conference, New Caledonia’s Foreign Minister will inform the world community about the recent developments in his country, including the atrocities committed by the French government against the Kanak people.
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On June 20, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a phone call to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.
During the telephone conversation, Antony Blinken hailed the progress made in advancing the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the United States is determined to continue supporting the normalization of relations between the two countries. He invited the parties to sign the peace agreement shortly. Noting the importance the United States attaches to its bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, the Secretary of State underlined the constructive cooperation between the two countries in achieving common goals in climate change and the energy sector. Antony Blinken said that his country supports renewed and stronger bilateral relations with Azerbaijan. He also added that the United States would spare no effort in delivering a successful COP29 to be hosted by Azerbaijan.
Noting that peace has been ensured in the region, and that the Azerbaijani side was an initiator of the text and underlying principles of the peace treaty, President Ilham Aliyev stressed the ongoing efforts to advance the normalization process and the peace agenda on a bilateral basis. Praising the United States’ determination to contribute to the peace agenda, the head of state underscored the importance of Armenia ceasing its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which are enshrined in the constitution, relevant laws, and internal regulations of Armenia, in order to advance the peace agenda.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that it is long overdue to officially terminate the non-functional OSCE Minsk Group’s activities and all associated institutions to officially close the chapter on the conflict, which is a relic of the past. President Ilham Aliyev touched upon the long-standing successful cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. He hailed the fruitful collaboration between the delegations of both countries in the fight against climate change and the preparations for COP29, and thanked the United States for their intention to support the successful hosting of COP29. The head of state emphasized Azerbaijan’s value for relations with the USA and supported further strengthening and elevating the bilateral ties to a qualitatively new level.
During the phone conversation, they expressed satisfaction with the high-level exchange of letters between our countries, reciprocal visits of delegations, and shared their views on important issues such as human rights, democracy, and respect for the rule of internal laws in countries.
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MPs abandon plans to establish Parliamentary Friends of Azerbaijan in Victoria, Australia, over human rights record … Public Radio of Armenia – Official Web site
On June 20, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze chaired the 2024 the Ambassadorial meeting in Berlin, Germany, which is currently hosting the EURO-24 football championship. The Ambassadorial was attended by the Georgian ambassadors to the United States and European countries, as well as the permanent representatives of Georgia to the European Union, NATO and other international organizations. During the meeting, the parties discussed the foreign policy priorities of Georgia, the challenges facing the country and plans for the future. After the meeting, the Prime Minister spoke to journalists on issues such as EU and NATO accession, the Foreign Agents Law, and relations with China.
According to the press release of the Georgian government, during the meeting the Prime Minister emphasized the special importance of the work of Georgian diplomats in protecting Georgia’s interests in the international arena and thanked them for their work. At the meeting, the ambassadors received “concrete instructions” from the Prime Minister, the press release said.
Prime Minister’s Comments to Journalists
Relations with the West
Speaking to journalists on the topic of the Ambassadorial, Prime Minister Kobakhidze emphasized that EU integration and continuous progress in this direction is Georgia’s foreign policy priority. He repeatedly said that relations with the EU and the US have to be “reset” and “become healthy”. He noted that despite some difficulties in EU-Georgia relations, he believes that by 2030 Georgia will be an EU member state. He emphasized that this main goal is very clear, but there are “some nuances” that need to be discussed and the Ambassadorial provided an opportunity to go through the details and discuss future action plans that would strengthen Georgia’s international positions.
As for what the PM expects from the West in the near future, he stated: “Our main message to our partners is that the relationship needs to be reset and strengthened in all directions, that applies to the United States of America and that applies to the European Union. During the time that Kelly Degnan [former U.S. Ambassador to Georgia] and Carl Hartzell [former head of EU Delegation to Georgia] were working in Georgia, a lot of things went wrong. Since then, problems have arisen, difficulties have arisen. However, everything is subject to reset, recovery, the main thing is that we receive the appropriate steps from the partners… I am sure that as soon as the regional and global situation improves, it will have a direct impact on the improvement of relations between Georgia and the EU, and between Georgia and the U.S. We have high hopes that the war in Ukraine will end soon. Ukraine needs peace and of course this will be one of the factors that will contribute to the improvement of relations…”
The PM was also asked about the upcoming meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, when the Foreign Ministers of EU member states will discuss sanctions against Georgia in response to the Foreign Agents law, among other topics. The Prime Minister again mentioned the need to “reset the relations” and stated: “We expect pragmatic steps from the EU structures.” He maintained that “in the end, you all saw that there was not a single argument against the law.” He added: “We repeatedly offered our partners a public discussion, but each time we were refused. In the end, everyone saw that the criticism had no basis. Against this background, it is necessary to show a pragmatic approach to Georgia in order to ensure the strengthening of relations between Georgia and the European Union. There was, so to speak, an overabundance of statements about certain measures, but in reality such steps would be counterproductive.”
PM Kobakhidze briefly commented on the upcoming NATO Summit as well, indicating that his expectations from the summit is low. “In general, as far as NATO enlargement is concerned, NATO leaders are making public statements that NATO enlargement is not an issue that can be actively discussed at this stage, so we do not expect any substantial changes from the NATO Summit. Of course, are ready for a close partnership with NATO, this has always been our task, and of course we will continue to work in this direction.”
Sino-Georgian relations
The Prime Minister was asked to react to the comment regarding the Sino-Georgian relations by the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan. He first noted his respect towards the Ambassador, stressing that he hopes that she will revive U.S.-Georgian relations; commenting about Sino-Georgian relations, he said: “I think that here, too, there is an absolutely unfair attitude on the part of certain partner countries, so to speak. In fact, everyone knows that China is one of the most important trading partners for the EU and the U.S.. When we hear criticism of Georgia deepening economic relations with China in these circumstances, it is certainly a double standard, and such a double standard is absolutely unacceptable for us. An important and necessary condition for healthy relations is justice, fair assessments. Unfortunately, we often hear unfair assessments of the steps taken by our state. These steps serve the national interests of our country, and therefore, of course, we will continue to act in this direction in the future. Double standards and injustice are counterproductive to the improvement of relations between us and our partner countries.”
Other issues
The Prime Minister once again spoke about the Foreign Agents law during his conversation with journalists, saying that the criticism of the law was unfounded and pointing to the law on transparency of foreign influence adopted in Canada. “The adoption of the law on transparency, serves to prevent foreign influences and to protect the sovereignty of the country. Therefore, the campaign against the transparency law in Georgia was a complete farce. The example of Canada is another very clear confirmation of this. The campaign we saw in Georgia against the transparency law was simply shameful. If you criticize the law without any arguments, it is just shameful.”
He also reiterated accusations against the largest opposition party in Georgia, the United National Movement, claiming that the party wished for Georgia to go through what Ukraine had to endure, noting: “I would like to assure the representatives of the “National Movement” that the Ukrainian scenario will not develop in Georgia and the Ukrainization of Georgia will not happen under any circumstances, we will do our best to avoid this, we will do everything.”
Finally, Prime Minister Kobakhidze touched upon the list of football players that President Salome Zurabishvili will award with the Medal of Honor in September 2024. He noted that the original list of players was presented to the President after consultations with the Georgian Football Federation and the national team, and that the President’s decision to omit some of the players from the list in her decision is an attempt to create a division in society and shows that “she knows nothing about football.”
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