Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau steps into new era of strategic partnership

The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Moktar Sissoko Embaló, arrived in Azerbaijan on February 27, marking yet another milestone in Azerbaijan’s deepening engagement with Africa. As Baku intensifies its diplomatic and economic outreach across the continent, this visit signals a broader shift—one where Azerbaijan positions itself as a key player in Africa’s energy, security, and development sectors.

It's puzzling to consider how a distant African country could be of interest to Azerbaijan, particularly given that it ranks among the five poorest countries in the world. Although there are many questions surrounding this situation, it's evident that such visits should never be regarded as routine.

This visit is particularly significant, as it follows President Embaló’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where discussions centered around rare earth metals—an increasingly critical resource in global geopolitics. Commenting on that meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted Russian companies' interest in joint mining projects, underscoring the growing importance of this sector.

The timing is notable. Just before the visit of Guinea-Bissau’s president to Moscow, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on Azerbaijan’s accession to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a UN-approved initiative aimed at preventing conflict diamonds from financing armed groups in West Africa. Details of rare earth minerals in Guinea-Bissau are limited to small-scale production of construction materials, such as clays, granite, limestone, sand, and gravel. The country's prospective minerals include bauxite, diamond, gold, heavy minerals, petroleum, and phosphate rock. Perhaps, the topic likely featured in Baku’s high-level discussions.

Welcoming his counterpart, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the historic nature of the visit and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening ties with Guinea-Bissau.

"This trip is a historic visit. For the first time, the President of Guinea-Bissau is visiting us on an official visit. We have already discussed important issues on our bilateral agenda and agreed to strengthen our efforts to develop partnerships in all areas," President Aliyev stated.

The Azerbaijani leader also underscored the significance of mutual support within international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Indeed the relationship between Azerbaijan and Guinea-Bissau is primarily maintained through international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement. Guinea-Bissau has supported various resolutions concerning Azerbaijan within the OIC. In 2020, Azerbaijan provided Guinea-Bissau with $100,000 in assistance via the World Health Organization as part of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. These facts indicate that Azerbaijan's relations with African countries, which represent a new avenue for cooperation, are expected to develop dynamically in the future and encompass a broader range of areas.