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Li Peng Holds Talks with Azerbaijan National Council Chairman
Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with Murtuz Aleskerov, chairman of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, to discuss cooperation between the two parliaments and other issues of common concern.
Aleskerov extended a warm welcome to Li, who is on an official goodwill visit to Azerbaijan.
Aleskerov said since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1992, their friendly relations have kept growing.President Geidar Aliyev's 1994 China visit marked a new era of bilateral relations, he said, adding Li's current visit to Azerbaijan is also a major event in the history of the two countries' relations as it will open a new chapter for the friendly relations between the two countries' parliaments.
He said China has played an important role in Asia and in the world as well, and Azerbaijan highly appreciates China's stand of upholding justice in international affairs.
Aleskerov said China's position on respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity is an important principle in international relations.
He said Azerbaijan also opposes the theory of "human rights overriding sovereignty," and opposes the creation of separation of a country or a nation by using this theory. He noted that Azerbaijan appreciates China's stand on the issue of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh area.
Aleskerov said he hopes the two countries will have more economic cooperation projects in various fields, including in the oil and natural gas industry.
He said he hopes for further cooperation between his country's National Assembly and China's NPC.
In response, Li said the Chinese and Azerbaijan peoples have kept friendly contacts both in the period of the former Soviet Union and after the independence of Azerbaijan. Exchanges between the two parliaments have kept growing, he said, adding he hopes his current visit will contribute to this endeavor.
He also reiterated China's position on the issue of Azerbaijan' s Nagorno-Karabakh area, saying that the U.N. Security Council's resolutions on this problem should be implemented.
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