The President of Iraq is visiting Azerbaijan for the second time this year

On the 19th of November, Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid embarked on an official visit to Azerbaijan, where he received a warm welcome from a contingent of Azerbaijani dignitaries, including First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov and Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov, upon his arrival at the airport.

This visit materialized as a result of an invitation extended by President Ilham Aliyev during their prior meeting on March 1, which took place in Baku during the Non-Aligned Movement Contact Group summit addressing the global fight against COVID-19. During this meeting, the President of Iraq, Rashid, explicitly expressed Baghdad's strong interest in bolstering its ties with Azerbaijan, highlighting the promising prospects for expanding their collaborative efforts.

President Aliyev, in response, emphasized the considerable potential for enhanced cooperation between the two nations within the realm of international organizations, particularly citing the OPEC+ alliance and other relevant frameworks. Additionally, the leaders engaged in substantive discussions regarding cooperation across various sectors, such as investment, energy, construction, transport, and education. They underscored the significance of broadening mutual trade and facilitating the exchange of business delegations.

Notably, Iraq recognized Azerbaijan's sovereignty on January 2, 1992, with formal diplomatic relations established on March 30 of the same year. Despite the current trade turnover between the two countries amounting to a relatively modest $29.3 million, Azerbaijan maintains a positive trade balance of $28.8 million, representing a nearly threefold increase since the year 2020.