UPDATE - Azerbaijani president receives Turkish foreign minister in Baku

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, REVISES HEADLINE

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Baku.

Fidan is in the Azerbaijani capital to attend a two-day meeting with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which will end on Thursday, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Azerbaijan took over the chairmanship of NAM, a forum of 120 countries, in 2019.

Aliyev congratulated and wished success to Fidan on his appointment as foreign minister, according to the statement from the Azerbaijani presidency.

He said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s official visit to Azerbaijan after the elections exemplifies the alliance between the two neighboring countries.

Fidan, for his part, said that he always prioritized the development of friendship between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. He also expressed gratitude for the invitation to the Non-Aligned Movement Coordination Bureau Ministerial Meeting.

Aliyev informed Fidan about normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, to ensure peace and security in the South Caucasus region.

- Azerbaijan’s national leader remembered

Fidan also delivered a speech at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev.

He said that Heydar Aliyev has always been remembered with respect in Türkiye.

“He was a brilliant statesman and exceptional strategist.,” he added.

Born on May 10, 1923, Heydar Aliyev served as the president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003.

“Under his leadership, Azerbaijan earned its current status as a successful and respectable member of the international community,” Fidan said.

He added that Heydar Aliyev would have been proud to see the Turkic states as an “emerging power bloc.”

“We are glad to see that his legacy is protected and his vision is advanced by His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

“He (the Azerbaijani president) put an end to the illegal occupation of Karabakh as a crowning achievement of Heydar Aliyev’s vision.”

Azerbaijan ended the Armenian occupation of several cities, villages, and settlements after 44 days of fighting in 2022. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

Despite ongoing peace talks between Baku and Yerevan, tensions between the neighboring countries have escalated in recent months due to the Lachin corridor, which serves as the only land route providing Armenia access to Karabakh.