A delegation of EU diplomats is currently in the South Caucasus to follow-up on discussions held in Brussels last December in the framework of the VI Eastern Partnership Summit, particularly as related to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
The delegation is led by Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Isabel Dumont, the French President's Adviser on Continental Europe and Turkey. France currently has the rotating presidency of the European Union.
On Thursday, the delegation met in Baku with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. According to the website of the Azerbaijani presidency, president Ilham Aliyev congratulated France on assuming the presidency of the European Union and expressed hope that the French presidency of the European Union would be successful and fruitful. President Ilham Aliyev recalled with satisfaction his meetings with EU Council President Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels on December 15 last year. President Ilham Aliyev praised the meeting with representatives of France and the European Union in this format, emphasizing that it created positive opportunities for the development of the peace agenda discussed in Brussels.
Isabelle Dumont, Adviser to the French Cabinet on Continental Europe and Turkey, thanked President Ilham Aliyev for receiving the delegation on January 20, the Day of Mourning for the people of Azerbaijan. Isabel Dumont stressed that the visit was aimed at holding discussions as a continuation of the positive meetings held in Brussels on December 15.
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar stressed the importance of the meetings held in Brussels within the framework of the VI EU Eastern Partnership Summit, noting that the visit to the region was important in terms of discussing important follow-up issues.
In a tweet later Klaar said that it was an "excellent meeting".
The sides exchanged views on ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
The delegation is now expected to visit Armenia.