“There is no sustainable alternative but to follow the path of diplomacy. This is key if we want to achieve long-lasting solutions for peace and security.” On Tuesday, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade and Chair-in-Office of the OSCE Ian Borg continued his three-day visit to the South Caucasus region with several meetings in Azerbaijan. In Baku, he led the Maltese OSCE Chairpersonship delegation to meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and other key officials.
Minister Borg explained that his visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on important issues for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Azerbaijan, including the peace process with Armenia. Referring to his visit to Armenia a day earlier, he welcomed the progress made by the two countries in the delimitation of their shared border and encouraged them to continue these negotiations in good faith, for a comprehensive settlement.
“OSCE will keep supporting all pragmatic approaches that yield tangible results. It is essential to improve the situation for all the people who live in displacement and suffer from the consequences of this conflict. We also stand ready to support efforts to alleviate human suffering in the region, and help build a better future for its people,” the Minister and Chair-in-Office said.
As Azerbaijan continues its preparations to host COP29 later this year, Minister Borg affirmed that ongoing engagement between OSCE and Azerbaijan on environmental aspects will contribute to the organisation’s discussions on the importance of climate action in a comprehensive approach to security.
In comments to the media, Chair-in-Office Borg reminded that Malta stepped in to assume the Chair of the OSCE at the eleventh hour because it believes that this organisation has a vital role to play in resolving the challenges faced by 57 participating states today, in Europe and beyond.
“We are working hard to ensure the resilience of this Organisation, facilitating consensus on all necessary institutional decisions, a sound financial basis and a strong leadership for coming years. To achieve this, we rely on all participating states to demonstrate the necessary political will and flexibility,” Minister Borg concluded.
Malta began its 12-month Chairmanship of the OSCE in January, under the theme “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Security”, after it was unanimously elected to head this organisation for the first time in its history, in November 2023.
