DUBLIN, Ireland, November 12. The Republic of
Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland have signed a joint declaration on strategic partnership,
Trend's special
correspondent reports.
The document was signed by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Trend presents the full text of the declaration:
"The Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland
(hereinafter referred to as “the Participants”),
Building on the longstanding relationship between the two
countries and recalling the Joint Declaration on Friendship and
Cooperation of 23 February 1994 and the Joint Declaration on
Friendly Relations and Partnership of 21 July 1998, and recognising
the strength, depth and dynamism of bilateral ties, express their
shared determination to elevate relations to the level of a
Strategic Partnership, grounded in mutual respect, shared interests
and practical cooperation.
Reaffirming their commitment to the Charter of the United
Nations, principles and norms of international law, in particular
those related to the inviolability of internationally recognised
borders, respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity.
Emphasizing the importance of the Washington Peace Summit
Declaration of 8 August 2025 and welcoming the subsequent peace
steps taken towards the normalisation of relations between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland reaffirms its continued support for efforts of the
two countries aiming to achieve sustainable peace in the region
through bilateral dialogue.
Acknowledging that strong, resilient and diversified economic
growth, open trade, investment and innovation are essential
foundations for long-term stability and prosperity for both
Participants.
Recognising that enduring partnerships are built on trust,
openness and strong people-to-people links, both sides affirm the
importance of practical cooperation in education, science,
innovation and skills as a foundation for long-term growth and
digital transformation. The Participants further recognise the
mutual benefit of direct engagement with communities and commit to
supporting projects and programmes that deliver on the intent of
this Partnership.
The Participants have reached the following understanding:
I. Defence and Security
The Participants share a long-term commitment to strengthening
cooperation in defence and security in support of regional peace
and stability, and to enhancing their ability to deter, prevent and
respond to common threats.
They will commit to the sustained momentum of high-level
engagement, and deepen coordination on bilateral, regional and
international issues of mutual interest.
The Participants will advance defence cooperation focused on
training, capacity building and interoperability, and will explore
opportunities to enhance defence industry cooperation including
joint initiatives in areas of mutual interests.
They will strengthen cooperation across a broad spectrum of
security priorities, in response to evolving security challenges
and threats.
Additionally, Participants will form enhanced law-enforcement
partnerships and border management cooperation, and judicial and
legal collaboration to strengthen the rule of law and institutional
resilience.
They further affirm their intention to cooperate in multilateral
fora where interests align, contributing jointly to international
peace and security.
II. Trade, Investment and Growth
The Participants share an ambition to broaden and deepen
bilateral trade and investment ties and to promote sustainable,
inclusive and diversified economic growth.
They will strengthen cooperation in economy, trade and
investment by facilitating long-term commercial partnerships,
knowledge sharing, and engagement across priority sectors,
including renewable energy, infrastructure and services, and by
promoting business-to-business links that generate jobs, skills and
value in both economies.
The Participants underline the importance of regional and
international connectivity and will support the development of the
Middle Corridor, alongside transport, logistics and infrastructure
projects that facilitate cross-border trade and investment.
They will cooperate on the clean energy transition, including
renewable energy development, green finance, and low-carbon
technologies, to support climate resilience, sustainability and
progress towards net-zero objectives, and energy security.
The Participants will explore opportunities to deepen
cooperation in financial and capital markets, including through
dialogue between relevant authorities and financial institutions,
with a view to supporting sustainable investment, trade finance,
SME growth and green finance. They will facilitate knowledge
exchange and institutional cooperation that strengthens financial
sector resilience, transparency and access to international
markets, in accordance with their respective laws and
regulations.
The Participants attach particular importance to the role of the
Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic
Cooperation as a mechanism for driving economic, trade and
investment cooperation, and technical dialogue. They will use this
as the principal platform to advance joint initiatives on
investment, economic diversification, Middle Corridor development
and energy cooperation.
III. Education and Innovation
The Participants recognise that education, science, research and
innovation are essential enablers of long-term prosperity,
productivity and social resilience, and a foundation for modern,
competitive and inclusive economies.
They will deepen cooperation in education and skills
development, including higher education, vocational education and
training, digital and technical skills, and executive and
public-sector training, in response to evolving labour market and
governance needs.
The Participants will promote research, innovation and
technological cooperation, including partnerships between
universities, research institutions and industry, collaborating on
digitalisation, emerging technologies and life sciences, including
through the exchange of expertise on artificial intelligence,
digital governance and innovation landscape, with a focus on skills
development, transparency and inclusive growth.
The Participants will encourage people-to-people exchanges and
professional networks that foster mutual understanding, cultural
ties and long-term collaboration between the two civil
societies.
Final Provisions
The Participants have reached an understanding to hold an annual
Strategic Partnership meeting to review progress across the three
pillars of this Declaration, set priorities for future cooperation
and agree on practical follow-up.
Cooperation under this Declaration will be subject to the
availability of resources and in accordance with the respective
laws and regulations of the Participants.
Adopted in Dublin on 12 November 2026 in two original copies in
the Azerbaijani and English languages, both texts being equally
authentic."
