Azerbaijan and Türkiye Strengthen Strategic Partnership in Baku Talks
Baku, The Gulf Observer: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov hosted a Turkish delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan in Baku for productive talks focused on deepening bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
The discussions began with one-on-one talks between the two ministers, followed by an expanded meeting with delegations from both countries. The primary topics centered around ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation, with a particular emphasis on current regional challenges and opportunities.
Both ministers celebrated the broad and multi-faceted nature of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye partnership, which has reached an advanced level of alliance through the Shusha Declaration. This achievement, they noted, is driven by the leadership and vision of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Bayramov and Fidan commended the positive dynamics of collaboration across various sectors, including political, economic, trade, energy, transportation, communication, security, and military-defense. They also highlighted the successful trilateral partnerships between Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Georgia, Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Pakistan, Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Uzbekistan, and the quadrilateral Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Georgia-Kazakhstan framework, recognizing these collaborations as key drivers of regional stability and prosperity.
The ministers described the Azerbaijan-Türkiye relationship as a model of alliance within international and regional organizations, such as the UN, OSCE, the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and D-8. They underscored the importance of the Organization of Turkic States in advancing joint initiatives and hosting high-level meetings to make impactful decisions.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov praised Türkiye’s support for Azerbaijan’s bid to join the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation and acknowledged Türkiye’s active role in the COP29 international climate conference hosted in Baku in November 2024.
On the economic front, the ministers recognized the significant progress made in trade and investment. They noted the pivotal role of major energy and transportation projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and the Southern Gas Corridor, in driving economic cooperation. Both ministers agreed to continue enhancing the economic partnership and explore new initiatives, particularly in the fields of transportation, logistics, clean energy, and mutual investments.
The discussions also covered humanitarian cooperation in areas such as tourism, healthcare, education, science, and culture. Both ministers emphasized the enduring strength of the people-to-people ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, built on shared nationhood, language, and religion, which have solidified their bilateral relationship.
Minister Bayramov provided an update on the ongoing peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stressing the challenges posed by Armenia’s territorial claims and its military buildup. He noted that these factors have impeded progress toward a lasting peace agreement.
The ministers also discussed the situation in Syria, commending Türkiye’s constructive role and exploring potential avenues for joint participation in post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
The meeting concluded with a press conference, where both ministers answered questions from the media, further underscoring their commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship and regional stability.
