The 8th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain was held

The 8th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was held in Baku, co-chaired by the Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov and the Minister of State for Trade at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Lord Anas Sarwar.

The meeting featured an exchange of views on the current state of and prospects for the development of Azerbaijan-UK relations, with discussions focusing on opportunities to expand cooperation in political dialogue, economy and trade, energy, transport and digital infrastructure, agriculture, humanitarian affairs and healthcare. It was emphasized that the United Kingdom has been one of Azerbaijan’s key economic partners for more than three decades. It was noted that with investments exceeding USD 39 billion, the United Kingdom is the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan. Bilateral trade turnover increased by 67% last year. In the first half of this year,  it grew more than 5.5-fold to reach  USD 3.6 billion, while Azerbaijan’s exports to the United Kingdom increased 24-fold.

Our cooperation with bp continues to advance through the commencement of associated gas production at ACG, the Shah Deniz Compression, the Shafag-Asiman, Karabakh and Ashrafi-Dan Ulduzu-Aypara projects, as well as our joint activities in Uzbekistan. The 240 MW Shafag Solar Power Plant, expected to become operational next year, and the decarbonisation of the Sangachal Terminal through its clean energy provides a model for global energy transition. Information was provided about the projects implementing by Azerbaijan to create green energy corridors that will link the Caspian region and Central Asia with Europe. We aim to reach a Final Investment Decision on the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor by 2029. We invite our partners from the United Kingdom to participate in this and other green energy connectivity projects. The engagement of the British company Xlinks opens new avenues for our cooperation.

The 14% increase in transit freight between Azerbaijan and Great Britain countries in 2025 reflects as an indicator of the positive dynamics of cooperation in the transport sector. We encourage greater engagement by British companies and UKEF in infrastructure and logistics projects along the Middle Corridor.  The meeting also discussed opportunities to implement joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data centres and human capital development, to develop a Roadmap in these areas, and to establish joint educational programmes with leading UK universities. The United Kingdom’s support for Azerbaijan’s mine clearance activities, as well as the development of cooperation in agriculture, food security, education, culture and tourism, was also positively assessed.

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov stated that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attaches particular importance to strengthening the ties of friendship with the United Kingdom, one of Azerbaijan’s key trading partners, and to further developing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. The progress we have achieved provides a solid foundation for elevating our relations to the level of a strategic partnership. We have both the political will and significant potential for this. The documents signed within the framework of today's meeting, as well as the adoption of the comprehensive Action Plan, show that our political dialogue is turning into concrete results. Our key task is to translate our agreements  into tangible results and our shared potential into new projects."

Minister of State for Trade at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Lord Anas Sarwar stated: “The UK and Azerbaijan have built a strong partnership over many years, underpinned by investment and collaboration across a range of key sectors.Today’s dialogue shows our shared commitment to elevate our Strategic Partnership with deeper cooperation on areas from clean energy to AI connectivity, so we can unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in both countries.”

At the end of the meeting, the Protocol, as well as 4 documents covering cooperation in the fields of green energy and transport links, and urban mobility, were signed. These included a Memorandum of Understanding between Xlinks and the Green Corridor Alliance, a Roadmap between UKEF and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, as well as documents on cooperation in transport, education and other areas with relevant UK institutions and companies. The 2026-2027 Action Plan, comprising more than 60 actions across 10 areas, has also been adopted.