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MEMBER OF UK PARLIAMENT CALLS ON FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN
APA
Oct 9 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's essential role has been highlighted at the conference
of the UK Conservatives Party
Baku - APA. The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) has organized Baku
to Birmingham reception at the Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, during the
annual Conservative Party Conference on October 7. TEAS told APA that
the importance of partnership relations between Azerbaijan and the
UK was underlined at the event.
Demand for the event was so strong that hotel staff insisted on turning
away some delegates. Speaking to an audience of over 150 Conservatives,
Leon Cook, Director of Communications, TEAS, said: "The UK is still the
largest contributor of foreign domestic investment (FDI) to Azerbaijan,
and we want to see much more engagement from the Foreign Office and
Members of Parliament with this strategically important country and
region. 2012 has seen Azerbaijan elected as a non-permanent member to
the UN Security Council, the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest,
and the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is currently being played there."
Laura Sandys, MP for Thanet South, Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Greg Barker, Minister for Energy and Climate Change; and member
of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee; and a founding
member of the Conservative Women's Muslim Group, first became aware
of Azerbaijan's extensive energy resources when she visited the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Opened in 2006, this conveys
Azerbaijani oil to from the Caspian Sea to the Turkish coast. She
continued: "Azerbaijan is an important partner, not just to UK, but
to the west as a whole. Azerbaijan and the Caspian basin will play
a crucial role in ensuring energy security." Ms Sandys went on to
recognize how Azerbaijan is a friend to the west in a geopolitically
challenging environment, and emphasized the importance of bilateral
trade between Azerbaijan and the UK.
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth; member of the Energy and Climate
Change Select Committee; and Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for
Azerbaijan, continued: "Azerbaijan is vital to ensure European energy
security, and construction of the Southern Corridor is necessary to
diversify supply routes away from Russia. However, there is much
more to Azerbaijan than the energy sector. Tourism in the country
is developing, and there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and
skiing. Baku now boasts some excellent new hotels, and there are
already around 5000 British expats working in the country.
"Senior cabinet members should visit Azerbaijan to demonstrate our
high regard for relations with Baku. In particular, I believe that
a visit to the country by William Hague, Foreign Secretary, would be
very beneficial.
"We should also remember that Azerbaijan's success has occurred despite
the forceful occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding
regions by neighboring Armenia. This has caused 875,000 citizens to
become internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, and remains a
major concern for the Azerbaijani people. It is necessary for swift,
peaceful, resolution to be achieved through diplomatic means, and
the UK should be more active in supporting the Azerbaijani position."
APA
Oct 9 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's essential role has been highlighted at the conference
of the UK Conservatives Party
Baku - APA. The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) has organized Baku
to Birmingham reception at the Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, during the
annual Conservative Party Conference on October 7. TEAS told APA that
the importance of partnership relations between Azerbaijan and the
UK was underlined at the event.
Demand for the event was so strong that hotel staff insisted on turning
away some delegates. Speaking to an audience of over 150 Conservatives,
Leon Cook, Director of Communications, TEAS, said: "The UK is still the
largest contributor of foreign domestic investment (FDI) to Azerbaijan,
and we want to see much more engagement from the Foreign Office and
Members of Parliament with this strategically important country and
region. 2012 has seen Azerbaijan elected as a non-permanent member to
the UN Security Council, the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest,
and the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is currently being played there."
Laura Sandys, MP for Thanet South, Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Greg Barker, Minister for Energy and Climate Change; and member
of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee; and a founding
member of the Conservative Women's Muslim Group, first became aware
of Azerbaijan's extensive energy resources when she visited the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Opened in 2006, this conveys
Azerbaijani oil to from the Caspian Sea to the Turkish coast. She
continued: "Azerbaijan is an important partner, not just to UK, but
to the west as a whole. Azerbaijan and the Caspian basin will play
a crucial role in ensuring energy security." Ms Sandys went on to
recognize how Azerbaijan is a friend to the west in a geopolitically
challenging environment, and emphasized the importance of bilateral
trade between Azerbaijan and the UK.
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth; member of the Energy and Climate
Change Select Committee; and Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for
Azerbaijan, continued: "Azerbaijan is vital to ensure European energy
security, and construction of the Southern Corridor is necessary to
diversify supply routes away from Russia. However, there is much
more to Azerbaijan than the energy sector. Tourism in the country
is developing, and there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and
skiing. Baku now boasts some excellent new hotels, and there are
already around 5000 British expats working in the country.
"Senior cabinet members should visit Azerbaijan to demonstrate our
high regard for relations with Baku. In particular, I believe that
a visit to the country by William Hague, Foreign Secretary, would be
very beneficial.
"We should also remember that Azerbaijan's success has occurred despite
the forceful occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding
regions by neighboring Armenia. This has caused 875,000 citizens to
become internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, and remains a
major concern for the Azerbaijani people. It is necessary for swift,
peaceful, resolution to be achieved through diplomatic means, and
the UK should be more active in supporting the Azerbaijani position."