Azerbaijan, UK mull co-op deal, support for demining of liberated territories

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and the UK have discussed the partnership and cooperation agreement between the two countries and support for the demining of the liberated areas, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and UK Exports Minister Mike Freer.

"We discussed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the two countries with the UK Minister for Exports Mike Freer and support for the demining of the liberated areas," Shahbazov wrote on his official Twitter page.

Moreover, Shahbazov held a meeting with the UK Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change Greg Hands. They discussed the importance of expanding the Southern Gas Corridor in diversifying Europe's natural gas supply.

"At the meeting with @GregHands, UK Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, we talked about the importance of expanding the #SouthernGasCorridor in diversifying Europe's natural gas supply, and cooperation on #CleanEnergy," he tweeted.

Moreover, speaking at the 5th meeting of the Azerbaijan-UK Joint Intergovernmental Commission, the minister noted that it became a platform for assessing new opportunities in the energy transition, investment, digital economy, infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, and fight against mine to strengthen an energy-based exemplary economic partnership in the South Caucasus.

A delegation led by Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov is paying a visit to London to attend the fifth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission. The parties are expected to discuss the work done since the 4th session of the Intergovernmental Commission, including cooperation on further improvement of the business environment, increasing investments, energy transition, digital economy, infrastructure, agriculture, and others.

Azerbaijan and the UK are cooperating in different sectors of the economy. There are already 30 years of successful cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, which entered a new stage of development in line with the challenges of the global energy sector. The energy sector accounts for $28.8 billion out of $30.6 billion of the UK investments in Azerbaijan's economy. The UK is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $667.8 in 2021.