Abdullatif Jamal Rashid and Ilham Aliyev meet in Baku on March 1, 2023
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.
Politics
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Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Baku today, held a press conference at the COP29 climate conference. When asked about the arrested climate activists and opposition figures in Azerbaijan, she stated that Germany advocates for the release of government critics and that she would raise this issue during her meeting with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister. She specifically mentioned the name of Professor Gubad Ibadoglu, a doctor from Dresden University.
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On November 21, climate activists held a series of protests at the COP29 climate conference in Baku. The main themes of the protests included nuclear weapons testing, animal killings, protection of rivers and water bodies, and environmental pollution.
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The General Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) adopted a resolution on Friday reaffirming its commitment to democratic reforms, regional stability, and European integration amidst escalating geopolitical tensions driven by Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
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Activist Nijat Ibrahim, who was detained in Baku pre-trial detention center-1, inflicted numerous wounds on himself on November 20 in protest against unjustified criminal prosecution, his wife Parvin Ibrahim told Turan. According to her, on November 21, her husband called her and informed her that the day before he had inflicted incised wounds on himself with a piece of mirror. In particular, he cut his throat and ears.
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