21 April 2025 10:10

On 20 April 2025, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev paid a visit to the Republic of Iraq.

Within the framework of the visit, the second meeting of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq was held in the city of Baghdad. The political consultations were headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yalchin Rafiyev from the Azerbaijani side and by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq for bilateral relations Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Ulum from the Iraqi side.

During the consultations, a broad exchange of views was held on the current state and future development prospects of bilateral political, economic, trade, energy, humanitarian, and interparliamentary relations. In a multilateral format, particularly within international organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement, opportunities for expanding mutual cooperation were discussed. Cooperation relations within the framework of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) were touched upon.

The Iraqi side was informed about the post-conflict situation and the peace process, including the reconstruction and restoration work carried out in the liberated territories, the clearance of our territories from mines, and the return of our citizens to their native lands.

The sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Within the framework of the visit, Deputy Minister Yalchin Rafiyev met with the Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq, Co-Chair of the Joint Commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Iraq from the Iraqi side, Ms. Hiyam Al-Yasiri. During the meeting, the contribution of the Commission to the development of cooperation between the two countries in the economic, trade, and humanitarian fields was particularly emphasized, and confidence was expressed that the next meeting of the Commission, planned to be held in the city of Baku in the near future, will give impetus to bilateral relations.

At the meeting held between Deputy Minister Yalchin Rafiyev and the Deputy Minister of Environment of the Republic of Iraq Jasim Abdulaziz Hamadi, Azerbaijan’s successful COP29 chairmanship and directions of cooperation in the field of climate change were discussed.

Yalchin Rafiyev, who visited Iraq’s “Rewaq Baghdad Center for Public Policy” think tank and research center, met with the Director of the center Abbas Al-Anbari. At the roundtable organized with the participation of the leadership and researchers of the center, Yalchin Rafiyev provided information about our country’s foreign policy, COP29 chairmanship, Azerbaijan’s position on ongoing processes at the regional and international levels, and the future development prospects of cooperation with Iraq, and answered numerous questions from participants. At the roundtable, participants were also provided with detailed information on the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agenda and the reconstruction work carried out in the liberated territories.