Official reception was hosted in honor of President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović and his wife Tatjana Josipović

An official reception has been hosted on behalf of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva in honor of President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović and his wife Tatjana Josipović.

Addressing the reception, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that the meetings and the talks held during the first visit of President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović to Azerbaijan, the documents signed and the business forum would play an important part in the deepening of bilateral relations.

The President of Azerbaijan stressed the importance of the mutual opening of diplomatic missions for expanding the relations between the two countries in recent years.

Referring to the future areas of economic cooperation, President Aliyev said:

- Today, there are broad prospects for the development of our cooperation in the fields of energy, transportation of energy, tourism, environment, agriculture, transport, communications, construction of roads and infrastructure facilities, shipbuilding, chemical industry, etc. We are also attaching particular importance to the promotion of mutual investment and expanding trade.

There is a successful experience of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Croatia in the field of shipbuilding. Thus, the numerous ferries built at the Croatian shipyard of Uljanik in Pula that are currently operated by the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company were delivered to Baku 27 years ago at the direction of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. This tradition continues today. In May 2011, the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company and the Uljanik shipyard signed a contract on the construction of new ferries.

Our two countries also cooperate closely in international and regional organizations. Relations with the European Union and Euro-Atlantic structures are an important component of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. Our cooperation in the UN, OSCE, NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe is encouraging. From this standpoint, our relations with Croatia, which will become a new member of the European Union, are important both in the bilateral and regional formats. Azerbaijan, already a major economic hub of the region, is a reliable energy partner ready to contribute to the energy security of Europe. We are interested in supplying our energy in all directions and are working on various projects.

Noting that Azerbaijan is a supporter of security in the region and the world, President Ilham Aliyev said that our government is committed to this goal through the measures being taken in this area, active participation in international institutions, in particular as a member of the UN Security Council. At the same time, the President emphasized that the aggressive policies of Armenia pose a threat to peace and stability in the region. He said:

- As a result of Armenia’s military aggression, 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territory has been occupied, including our historical lands of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts. A policy of ethnic cleansing has been carried out in these areas, more than one million people have become refugees and IDPs. There are four resolutions of the UN Security Council in relation to the conflict, decisions of the OSCE, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, NATO and other international organizations.
President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan's resolute position consists in resolving the conflict within the framework of international law and the territorial integrity of our country.

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President of Croatia Ivo Josipović reiterated his gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva for the hospitality and warmth displayed. The President of Croatia noted that this meeting is an excellent opportunity in terms of developing the sympathy and friendship between the two countries, promoting cooperation in social, political and especially economic fields, and transforming it into mutual opportunities. Touching upon Croatia’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, Ivo Josipović said Azerbaijan had also made strides in this area. He said:

- Croatia, just like Azerbaijan, has bitter experience associated with temporary loss of control over part of its territory during the country’s full integration into Euro-Atlantic area. In this respect, Croatia appreciates the situation Azerbaijan is in. We value the patience you have exhibited and attempts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully. I am saying this not because of some abstract beliefs, but based on a similar experience.

Speaking about his country’s interest in the rapidly developing Azerbaijan and the mutual benefit of the cooperation the legal framework of which was laid during the visit to Baku, the Croatian President said:

- Today, Azerbaijan is a country that has many reasons to be proud of itself. We are well aware of these reasons. Using our bilateral potential, we aim to further intensify our cooperation and want it to be beneficial for both you and us. All the meetings and talks held today have convinced me that this is our common desire. Today we signed a number of documents creating the legal framework for our desires to become reality. Our First Deputy Prime Minister has also held interesting and promising talks. I believe that these negotiations can serve as a starting point for cooperation in the area of the European energy infrastructure.

The President of Croatia expressed the hope that the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow.