BAKU: FMs of Russia & Azerbaijan to focus on anti-terror fight

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 12 2004

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF RUSSIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO FOCUS ON ANTI-TERROR
FIGHT
[August 12, 2004, 14:46:27]

AzerTAj Moscow-based correspondent reports that deputy official
representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Boris Malakhov advised
of the main topic for the negotiations to be held in the course of
the visit to the Russian capital by Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov expected on 17-19 August.

B. Malakhov noted the Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Sergey Lavrov
would pay particular attention to the problems of terrorism.
Considering that Russian and Azerbaijan have common stance concerning
the intensification of the com-bat against international terrorism,
the Minister are going to coordinate both counties’ approaches to
further close interaction – practical steps in the fight against all
forms of terrorism, he said.

According to the diplomat, the parties will also exchange views on
issues related to regional and international situation, ways of
reinforcing the central role of the United Nations in the
international arena and intensification of interaction within the
Commonwealth.

Other topics to be touched upon during the talks are deepening the
cooperation of the Russian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers both in
the Caucasus and international arena, coordination of their actions
at the international organizations, implementation of the long-term
program of interstate cooperation in humanitarian sphere adopted in
February 2004, Caspian legal status and conducting the second Caspian
Summit, and finally, settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, B.
Malakhov said.