Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London today (Wednesday 21 June) as part of the 5th
UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue, where he welcomed Azerbaijan’s support for Ukraine through the provision of vital humanitarian aid, including delivering power generators, water pumps and medical supplies.
The Foreign Secretary also welcomed recent progress towards reaching a peaceful settlement to the long-standing conflict with Armenia and urged Foreign Minister Bayramov to build on the recent renewed momentum of peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
As part of the dialogue, UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty hosted Foreign Minister Bayramov in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Tuesday 20 June to discuss opportunities for greater collaboration in security, trade and cultural links.
As the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan, Minister Docherty underlined the UK’s unique position to support Azerbaijan’s economic diversification and promote its energy transition process, which will enable Azerbaijan to tap into its renewable energy potential.
The UK’s leading role in the field of demining in the returned territories was highlighted as a prime example of the UK’s commitment to peace in the region and shows how UK expertise is supporting Azerbaijan.
Recognising the destabilising behaviour of Iran and Russia, the Minister repeated the UK’s offer to support Azerbaijan to improve its cybersecurity and strengthen its resilience against hybrid threats.
Minister Docherty underlined that the UK stands ready to support progress on human rights, which are essential for a successful and prosperous Azerbaijan.
In the first visit to the UK by an Azerbaijani Foreign Minister in over 10 years, this week’s dialogue builds on Minister Docherty’s visit to Baku in February, where he signed a memorandum of understanding to provide support to prevent illegal migrants and narcotics from entering Europe, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priorities. Photo by Çələbi07, Wikimedia commons.