10:45

On December 2, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Carlos Pinto Pereira, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Diaspora of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Axar.az reports that the delegation also includes Viriato Kassama, the Minister of Environment of Guinea-Bissau.

The Azerbaijani President fondly recalled his recent meeting with the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and noted that the meeting had been highly productive in terms of determining the prospects for bilateral relations and areas of cooperation. Despite the short time that had passed since that meeting, the President described the visit of a delegation from Guinea-Bissau at the ministerial level to Azerbaijan as a positive sign of bilateral ties. President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that establishing cooperation in the economy, including trade and investment, would contribute to the strengthening of political relations as well.

Expressing his gratitude for the kind words, Carlos Pinto Pereira emphasized that the delegation he leads had come to Azerbaijan with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations, reflecting the desire of the President of Guinea-Bissau to cement ties with Azerbaijan.

During the discussions, cooperation in education was addressed, with mention of Azerbaijan’s provision of scholarships to students from Guinea-Bissau, particularly in engineering, petroleum engineering, and other fields, at its higher education institutions. It was recalled with pleasure that many students from Guinea-Bissau had studied in Azerbaijan in various sectors during the Soviet era, and it was noted that many of them are now represented in the Government of Guinea-Bissau. Additionally, it was highlighted that several ministers and other senior officials in today's delegation had also studied in Azerbaijan in the past.

The meeting also emphasized cooperation in the fields of oil and mining, with discussions about Azerbaijan sharing its expertise in these areas and exchanging views on conducting geological exploration activities.

The development of a diplomatic consultation mechanism between the two countries, as well as cooperation within international organizations and the intensification of reciprocal visits, were also discussed.

It was noted that Azerbaijan's "ASAN Xidmet" experience is of interest to Guinea-Bissau. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the "ASAN Xidmet," which provides citizens with services from government agencies and private institutions in a unified space, has been highly praised by the United Nations. The President of Azerbaijan stated that his country is ready to share its experience in this field with Guinea-Bissau.