The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) starts its visit to Azerbaijan today. Security situation and developing cooperation between the two countries are key topics to be discussed at the meetings held during the visit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
According to Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, the establishment of the Estonian embassy in Baku marks a new level in the relations between Estonia and Azerbaijan. For this reason, the Committee’s delegation hopes to discuss further development of bilateral relations, including economic cooperation, during the meetings.
Mihkelson said that during the three-day visit, the Committee also wished to gain a better understanding of how both regional and global security issues were perceived in Azerbaijan. “Developments in the region, including in relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, play an important role in the context of the international security picture,” he pointed out, and added that Estonia’s positions would also be clarified during the meetings and that support for Ukraine would be discussed separately.
In Baku, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will have meetings with Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ziyafat Asgarov, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and Interparliamentary Relations of the Milli Majlis Samad Seyidov and Head of the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Estonia InterParliamentary Relations of the Milli Majlis Afat Hasanova. The delegates will also meet with Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Fariz Rzayev. In addition, the delegation will have meetings with the representatives of Caspian Energy Club and several think tanks.
The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee consists of Chairman of the Committee Mihkelson and members of the Committee Eerik-Niiles Kross and Henn Põlluaas. Last time the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu visited Azerbaijan was in 2004.