Azerbaijan, D-8 Discuss Expansion of Cooperation and Regional Stability in Baku Talks

Baku, The Gulf Observer: Jeyhun Bayramov met on May 20 with Sohail Mahmood, who is currently visiting Azerbaijan, to review ongoing cooperation and explore new avenues for partnership between Azerbaijan and the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8).

During the meeting, the Secretary General expressed appreciation for the high-level organization of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) and the constructive discussions held on its sidelines.

Both sides discussed the current cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and D-8, including opportunities to strengthen ties in political, economic, energy, transport, and logistics sectors.

The discussions also highlighted Azerbaijan’s active participation in the organization since its accession, which was positively acknowledged by the D-8 leadership. In this context, the planned “D-8 Week” in Azerbaijan in October 2025 was noted, along with the establishment of several institutional initiatives in the country, including the D-8 Energy and Climate Center, D-8 Media Excellence Center, and D-8 Transport Excellence Center.

The two sides exchanged views on ongoing efforts to further develop these initiatives and expand institutional cooperation within the D-8 framework.

Emphasizing the importance of strengthening the organization’s global role, both parties noted that D-8 brings together politically and economically significant countries with a combined population of nearly 1.3 billion and a GDP of around US$5 trillion.

The meeting also covered regional and international security developments, with particular focus on the importance of de-escalation, maintaining ceasefires, and ensuring stability in the Middle East.

The two sides further exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.