Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang Ming, who is on a visit to the country to monitor the snap presidential election.
The discussions revolved around the prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and SCO, as well as Azerbaijan’s snap presidential election.
Minster Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the country’s cooperation with the SCO members contributed to Azerbaijan’s active involvement in the organization, as well as conducting mutual dialogue. The FM said that Azerbaijan, as a SCO dialogue partner, actively collaborates with the organization in terms of advancing the security issues, as well as communications projects such as East-West and North-South transport corridors.
FM Bayramov underscored that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to cooperation with SCO, which has a special role and prestige in the Eurasian landscape. He stressed the importance of exploring prospects for cooperation in economics, trade, energy, investment, tourism and other domains. He also noted that the year 2024 was declared the “Green World Solidarity Year” in Azerbaijan, with the country being chosen to host the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which opens ample opportunities for cooperation in the field of ecology.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov described the snap presidential election as significant, saying that this is for the first time the election is conducted across the entire territory of Azerbaijan after almost 30 years of occupation. “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 underlined.
He also briefed the SCO Secretary-General about the measures undertaken by the Ministry to facilitate the Azerbaijani citizens living abroad to exercise their voting rights.
Expressing his gratitude for the invitation to monitor the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Secretary-General Zhang Ming wished the country successful organization of the elections. The Secretary-General hailed the excellent organization of preparations for the elections.
The meeting also saw discussions on other issues of mutual interest.
