Our Diplomacy Must Be Offensive: Aliyev to New Foreign Minister

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated during a virtual meeting on July 16 with the newly appointed Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov that Azerbaijan's diplomacy should be offensive.

According to the APA news agency, Aliyev specifically noted, “Our diplomacy must be offensive; it must fully ensure national interests. But often we see the opposite. We see that the principle of agreeing is taken as a basis, and efforts are made to set aside national interests to please someone. I am quite informed about this. Therefore, keep these questions in view. As for the priorities of our foreign policy, I have said much about them to the public. Once again, I wish to state them. You, as the new minister, must hear this from me, and the Azerbaijani public must also hear it. Relations with neighboring countries are a priority for us. They are built on very healthy foundations. Life and the course of events show that this is a very correct policy. The political approach of neighboring countries towards Azerbaijan is also very positive. We have built these relations on the foundations of friendship and good neighborliness. Thus, with no neighboring country, naturally except for Armenia, do we have any problems. Past issues have been resolved,” Aliyev addressed the new minister.