Iraq, Azerbaijan Sign Several Agreements

Iraqi President's Media Office

Iraq and Azerbaijan's Presidents.

On Monday, November 20, 2023, the Presidential Zagulba Palace in Baku hosted the signing ceremony for agreements and memorandums of understanding between Iraq and Azerbaijan. The two presidents, President Rashid and President Ilham Aliyev, attended the ceremony.

In the beginning of the signing ceremony, the two presidents invited the ministers, government officials, and members of the delegations to begin signing the agreements.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Iraq, Ahmed Jassim Saber Al-Asadi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.

After that the Chairman of the Tourism Authority of the Republic of Iraq, Zafer Mahdi and the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of) Azerbaijan, Fuad Nagiyev signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of tourism between the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities of the Republic of Iraq.

Then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov and  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq, Muhammad Hussein Bahr Al-Ulum signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.

Then Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Rashad Nabiyev and Chairman of the Aviation Authority of the Republic of Iraq, Imad Al-Asadi signed Air Services Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Iraq.

His Excellency Presidents Abdullatif Jamal Rashid and President Ilham Aliyev held a joint press conference on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.

President Rashid expressed his thanks for the Azerbaijani President's kind invitation and warm reception.

As a result of the visit, Iraq's President stressed that it was successful and fruitful, and that the two countries intend to intensify their cooperation, develop and make investments in infrastructure, oil and gas projects, and multinational projects, as well as promote tourism between the two countries.

In his bilateral meeting with the Azerbaijani President, the President discussed Iraq's situation and the freedom and democracy it enjoys under constitutional institutions. As well as discussing the conditions that Iraq has experienced in the past, His Excellency spoke of wars, sieges, and terrorism, which negatively affected the country's internal and international affairs and resulted in the destruction of infrastructure. It is noteworthy that in Iraq today, positive changes are being witnessed due to improved understanding, peace, security, and political stability among Iraqi people of all backgrounds, he added.

According to the President, Iraq needed reconstruction and had a strong economy based on oil exports of up to five million barrels per day, as well as agriculture and development.
The Azerbaijani delegation that will reach Baghdad will contribute to creating a new environment for cooperation and investment between the two countries, as His Excellency explained the value of His Excellency's visit to Baku for fostering relations between the two nations.

I think war and conflicts can only lead to worsening the situation. It cannot solve any problem. I think all our problems have to be solved through dialogue, understanding and cooperation, said the President, Affirming the right to life of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their state as a means of consolidating regional peace. Furthermore, confirmed Iraq’s position in condemning the aggressions being carried out on Gaza, including killing and attacking civilians, in addition to attacking infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, housing, and the civil population in Gaza, expressing hope that this crisis will end soon, and that the Palestinian people will establish their rights in their own land.

Moreover, His Excellency said that I think there are several topics that we can talk about it in detail, but I think I will leave that to our different ministries and different institutions in the two countries to tackle these agreements or to tackle these if there are outstanding problems to solve it.

In his remarks, His Excellency expressed his pleasure at signing these agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries, emphasizing the need to achieve more in order to establish distinguished relations between the two. As a conclusion, the President congratulated President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people on their successful efforts in building their country and maintaining its security and stability.

 Azerbaijan's President Aliyev welcomed the Iraqi President and described the visit as historic since it is the first official visit to Azerbaijan by an Iraqi president, praising His Excellency's participation in the Conference of Non-Aligned Countries.

We will continue to support each other in international institutions. In various international institutions, including the United Nations, the Non-Allied Movement, and the International Cooperation Organization, Iraq and Azerbaijan always demonstrate solidarity with each other, President Ilham Aliyev confirmed, continuing to note that the two of us always support each other, and we always defend each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

President Aliyev informed President Rashid about Azerbaijan's relationship with Armenia, emphasizing Azerbaijan's desire to communicate with Armenia and to promote the peace process in the region.

Meanwhile, he added that Our delegation will visit Baghdad to hold a new round of meetings of the intergovernmental commission, and probably we'll have direct flights to Kirkuk, Erbil and Basra. So we're expecting a large volume of tourism traveling in both directions, and additional steps will be taken in order to have visa facilitation. In his remarks, he stressed that for us this visit was a success and that our dialogue would continue.



PUKMEDIA - Iraqi Presidency