Historical background to the document of "Speech of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, while receiving the vice-chancellor and minister of foreign affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Joschka Fischer, deputy speaker of the Bundestag Antye Fhollmer, and a delegation accompanying them" (Presidential residence, May 21, 2001)

Azerbaijan-German relations emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. There were German colonies on the territory of Azerbaijan in the middle of the 19th century, yet. A German company "Siemens" worked on copper mining in Azerbaijan, during tsarist Russia here.

After becoming independent, mutual visits of high ranking officials of Azerbaijan, and also of Germany contributed to the improvement in bilateral relations. The President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev visited the Federal Republic of Germany in June 1996. Until then two foreign ministers of Germany visited Azerbaijan three times. (http://www.mfa.gov.az/)

A visit of the minister of foreign affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Joschka Fischer, deputy speaker of the Bundestag Antye Fhollmer in May 2001, is considered a new phase in mutual relations. A big delegation accompanied those officials. Under Fischer and Follmer presidency, they held meetings at differente ministries and agencies of Azerbaijan and discussed the issues of extension of economic partnership.

The minister of the foreign affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Joschka Fischer, deputy speaker of the Bundestag Antye Fhollmer, and the delegation accompanying them met with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev on May 21, 2001. In his conversation with them, Heydar Aliyev stressed that he attached a great importance to the cooperation with Germany. He declared he was satisfied with the activity of German companies in Azerbaijan and wanted it to be continued. The President of Azerbaijan said he hoped a proper activity of Germany for a settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict: "We hope that Germany as the member of the Minsk group, will furthermore increase its activity for a settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to free 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia and return of the azerbaijanis, forced out of the occupied territories, which is a main issue for us."

German Foreign minister Joschka Fischer promised that his country would do its best in the Nagorno Karabakh issue. He held meetings with President Ilham Aliyev and other government representatives on his return from Afghanistan in April 2004. Economic, policy and security issues were discussed in these meetings. In the visit, made in the period of the participation of Azerbaijan in the coalition forces in Afghanistan, Fischer was accompanied by a former defense minister of Germany and a chair of the commission of international relations of Bundestag. (http://www.mediapress.media-az.com/)

Yoschka Fischer said that his last visit in May 2004, as a head of the delegation from the German Bundestag, gave a speed to the extension of the Azerbaijan-German relations. Ilham Aliyev`s next meeting with Yoschka Fischer took place in his official visit to Germany in August 2004. (http://www.bizimasr.media-az.com/)

Historical background was compiled on December 5, 2006.