German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is traveling to Armenia and Azerbaijan from November 3rd to 4th.
Foreign Minister Baerbock said before her departure: “Less than two months ago, more than 100,000 children, women and men from Nagorno-Karabakh were so afraid that they saw no other option than to leave their homeland in search of safety. Armenia has made a huge effort to take in the refugees. This is just the latest chapter in a painful history for the people of the region, for Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Over 30 years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh have left enormous wounds on both sides. Wounds that are incredibly deep – but can heal in the long term.”
Foreign Minister Baerbock will travel to the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, on Friday. There she will meet her counterpart Ararat Mirsoyan for a discussion. Other appointments include a visit to the civil European observation mission EUMA and a visit to a reception center for people who have fled Nagorno-Karabakh.
On Saturday, Foreign Minister Baerbock will travel to the Azerbaijani capital Baku. There she will meet her counterpart Jeyhun Bajramov for talks. Other appointments here include a conversation with representatives of Azerbaijani civil society and discussions with the UN coordinator on site.
For Foreign Minister Baerbock, it is her first trip as Foreign Minister to Armenia and Azerbaijan and her second trip to the Southern Caucasus after a trip to Georgia in the spring.
Germany is committed to sustainable peace, political and economic progress, and close and good relations with Europe in the Southern Caucasus.
Foreign Minister Baerbock said: “With peace as a basis – a great blessing that we are able to experience in Germany and Europe – prosperity can also be achieved for everyone. The Southern Caucasus offers enormous opportunities for this. We Europeans are ready to support the region on this path with very concrete offers. The planned undersea data cable through the Black Sea as part of the EU Global Gateway can bring Armenia and Azerbaijan closer to each other and also to us. The European Investment Bank is ready to cover almost half of the total cost of 45 million euros. Together with the countries of the Southern Caucasus, we want to build a region that overcomes the shadows of the past and shapes the interests of the future for the people.”
“Building trust and reconciliation in the region are crucial to this. Germany therefore supports the early resumption of trilateral talks mediated by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel,” she said.