Azerbaijan, SCO to enhance cooperation

Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, has met with the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Zhang Ming, who is on a visit to the country to monitor Azerbaijan's snap presidential election.

The sides discussed the prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the SCO, as well as Azerbaijan's snap presidential election, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, Jeyhun Bayramov stressed that the country's cooperation with the SCO members contributed to Azerbaijan's active involvement in the organisation as well as conducting mutual dialogue.

He emphasised Azerbaijan's commitment to working with the SCO on security matters and important infrastructure projects such as the East-West and North-South transport corridors.

FM Bayramov noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its partnership with SCO, which has a special role in the Eurasian landscape.

He also stressed the significance of exploring opportunities for cooperation in various sectors, including economics, trade, energy, investment, tourism, and ecology.

Jeyhun Bayramov drew attention to the fact that the year 2024 was declared the Green World Solidarity Year in Azerbaijan.

He mentioned that Azerbaijan will be hosting the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2024, providing further opportunities for collaboration in the field of ecology.

The Minister described the snap presidential election as a significant event, as it is the first time in almost 30 years that the elections will be conducted across the entire territory of Azerbaijan, including the recently liberated areas.

"The Azerbaijani citizens, who have returned to their homes following the reconstruction works carried out in the liberated territories, will exercise their franchise in their ancestral lands for the first time," the minister said.

Jeyhun Bayramov also informed the SCO Secretary-General about the measures undertaken by the Ministry to facilitate the exercise of voting rights by Azerbaijani citizens living abroad.

Secretary-General Zhang Ming expressed his gratitude for the invitation to monitor the presidential election in Azerbaijan and wished the country a successful organisation of the elections.

The Azerbaijani FM and SCO Secretary-General also discussed other issues of mutual interest.

Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has mainly focused on regional security issues and its fight against regional terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism. To date, the SCO's priorities also include regional development. The SCO has been an observer in the UN General Assembly since 2005.

Azerbaijan was granted the status of a dialogue partner in the SCO on July 10, 2015. According to the Memorandum signed in Beijing on March 14, 2016,

The country's membership in the SCO has opened up new opportunities for cooperation in such areas as strengthening regional security and stability, cooperation in the field of trade and investment, energy, telecommunications, and agriculture, as well as the promotion of direct contacts between small and medium-sized businesses; interaction on legal and customs issues, etc.