Baku/08.02.21/Turan: The Minister for the European Neighbourhood will visit Baku to attend the annual UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue Summit.
UK Foreign Office Minister Wendy Morton will travel to Azerbaijan for a two day visit starting on Monday 8 February. The visit will seek to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Azerbaijan around areas of cooperation in green energy and tackling climate change, as well as advancing the rights of women and countering gender based violence.
On her first visit to Azerbaijan, Minister Morton will meet with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to discuss human rights and peace and stability in the wider Caucasus region following the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the vital role that women play in building a strong and long-lasting peace.
The Minister for the European Neighbourhood will also visit Baku to attend the annual UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue Summit (9 February) and sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries to expand the partnership in environmental and climate issues.
Speaking ahead of her visit, UK Foreign Office Minister, Wendy Morton said:
“Our two countries share strong links between our people, cultures and in education. I look forward to meeting President Aliyev and his government to discuss further areas of cooperation, as Azerbaijan embraces renewable energy and builds back greener following Covid-19 and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The UK has been a strong global advocate for women’s rights and I also looking forward to meeting inspiring female leaders who are advancing women’s rights in Azerbaijan and working to combat domestic abuse”.
“The UK is working closely with Azerbaijan on its first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to encourage the government of Azerbaijan to strengthen women’s legal rights by signing up to the Istanbul Convention.”
As part of the visit, the UK Minister will also meet with the Minister of Ecology & Natural Resources and Minister of Energy to discuss how the UK can work with Azerbaijan to transition to renewable energy and achieve a significant greenhouse gas emissions reduction ahead of COP26 in Glasgow in November.
Minister Morton will meet with the Minister of Education to discuss the positive impact that the British Council is making to lives of young people through their English language programmes and attend the British Council’s UK Alumni Awards to meet graduates of leading UK institutions in Azerbaijan. The Minister will also establish ties between the Parliaments of both countries in a meeting with Azerbaijan’s female Parliamentary Speaker and meet prominent female leaders who are advancing women’s rights in Azerbaijan.-0-
Politics
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On January 7, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes began an investigation into the case of the activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Mehman Aliyev, who is accused of illegal drug trafficking.
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On January 7, the head of state, Ilham Aliyev, gave an interview to local TV channels. As of 18:00, the content of the interview had not been published.
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In late December, the Nakhchivan Court for Serious Crimes concluded the trial of former Minister of Finance of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR), Rafael Aliyev, and former head of the Nakhchivan Customs Committee’s department, Mansur Askerov. Both were accused of embezzling state budget funds in collusion with others. In his testimony, Askerov revealed that illegal fees were being collected for cargo and from passengers. Sahat Habibbeyli, appointed head of Nakhchivan Customs in 2020, had instructed Askerov to include only a portion of the collected funds in the Transport and International Relations (TIR) program.
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The "Republican Alternative" Party (REAL) has proposed a program to reform local governance ahead of the municipal elections on January 29, aiming to expand opportunities for economic activity at the municipal level. The new program has been developed with consideration of the existing economic problems in the country. The government of Azerbaijan seeks to obtain external loans for its projects, the economic feasibility of which raises doubts.
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