On 30 September, the German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Wolfgang Manig talked about the future prospects of Azerbaijan-Germany relations, reported azernews.
First and foremost, Berlin wants an early signing of the partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan (Caucasus Watch reported). “This agreement will encompass various spheres, trade being one of them. We want to increase the number of German businessmen visiting Azerbaijan. The agreement will also establish a legal basis for foreign investments in Azerbaijan,” Manig said.
The Ambassador noted that Germany will chair the UN Security Council soon, adding that “we would like to expand our cooperation with Azerbaijan within this agency.” Manig went on to say that Germany will also chair the European Union in the summer of 2020, and in the fall the country will chair the Council of Europe. “The Council of Europe is also an important organization for Azerbaijan. We want Azerbaijan to draw even closer to the EU structures and closely cooperate with them on developing bilateral relations,“ he said.
Manig also talked about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and praised the recent meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in the US to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict (Caucasus Watch reported). “Nagorno Karabakh is a complicated conflict, But OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs can ensure mutual calm dialogue between the two sides. We express our gratitude to them. It is important to be patient in the settlement of the conflicts. Time is needed for solving the conflicts. At the same time a clear point should also be demonstrated. It is possible that the conflict was not resolved in this meeting, but if two ministers talk with each other, it is a good sign,” he said.
He also added that Germany is cooperating with NGOs, UN agencies and the Committee of the Red Cross regarding conflict settlement. “The main thing is to find a practical solution to the conflict. First of all, it is important to ensure dialog between the two peoples,” he concluded.
Germany and Azerbaijan have maintained good bilateral relations since 1992. For Germany, Azerbaijan is the most important economic partner in the Caucasus. In Baku, Germany maintains the only foreign trade chamber in the region. Azerbaijan is among the ten most important suppliers of crude oil in Germany. For export, the focus is on machinery, motor vehicles and parts, iron and steel products and manufacturing plants. The focal points of development cooperation are sustainable economic development, environmental and climate protection as well as democracy, municipal development and the promotion of the rule of law.
