Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev has visited Iraq.

Axar.az reports that within the framework of the visit, the second meeting of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq was held in Baghdad. The political consultations were led by Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev from the Azerbaijani side, and Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom from the Iraqi side.

During the consultations, a broad exchange of views was held on the current state and future development prospects of bilateral political, economic, trade, energy, humanitarian, and inter-parliamentary relations. Opportunities for expanding mutual cooperation in multilateral formats, especially within international organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement, were discussed. Mutual cooperation within the framework of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was also addressed.

The Iraqi side was informed about the post-conflict situation and peace process, including restoration and construction work in liberated territories, demining of Azerbaijani territories, and the return of Azerbaijani citizens to their native lands.

The parties also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, Yalchin Rafiyev met with Iraq's Minister of Communications, Hayam Al-Yasiri, who is also the co-chair from the Iraqi side of the Joint Commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iraq. During the meeting, the contribution of the Commission to the development of cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, and humanitarian fields was especially emphasized, and confidence was expressed that the next meeting of the Commission, planned to be held in Baku in the near future, would give impetus to bilateral relations.

During Yalchin Rafiyev's meeting with Iraq's Deputy Minister of Ecology, Jassim Abdulaziz Hamadi, Azerbaijan's successful COP29 presidency and areas of cooperation in climate change were discussed.

The Deputy Minister visited the Rewaq Baghdad Center for Public Policy think tank and research center in Iraq and met with the center's director, Abbas Al-Anbari. Also, at a roundtable organized with the participation of the center's leaders and researchers, Yalchin Rafiyev provided information about Azerbaijan's foreign policy, COP29 presidency, Azerbaijan's position on processes taking place on regional and international levels, and future development prospects of cooperation with Iraq, and answered numerous questions from participants.

At the roundtable, participants were provided with detailed information about the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agenda and reconstruction work being carried out in the liberated territories.