Azerbaijan-Belarus: Strategic partnership reaching new heights Cooperation soars as trade, technology, and culture flourish

On November 11, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who arrived in Baku ahead of the opening of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to Alexander Lukashenko for accepting the invitation and participating in the COP29 event, which in itself reflects the level of relations established between the two heads of state.

Forging stronger ties

The main focus of the conversation between the two leaders was the successfully developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus. Today, the strategic partnership between Baku and Minsk has reached a qualitatively new level. “We can accomplish a lot for the benefit of both Belarus and Azerbaijan,” Alexander Lukashenko noted at the beginning of the meeting.

How does the interaction between the two countries manifest in practice? The results are impressive; trade turnover alone has increased by 41% over the past year. Previous meetings between the two presidents played a significant role in these achievements. President Lukashenko’s state visit to Azerbaijan took place from May 15-17, 2024. However, this year alone, Ilham Aliyev and Alexander Lukashenko have met four times in various formats, including two autumn meetings at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Moscow and the BRICS summit in Kazan.

In line with the agreements reached, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus is being carried out across 12 areas, with one of the priorities being the restoration and construction efforts in Azerbaijan's liberated Karabakh region, which was affected by occupation and war. The collaboration in the construction sector between Azerbaijan and Belarus spans several years; previously, it focused on urban planning and design documentation, the exchange of regulatory standards, and technology.

Currently, however, the Belarusian side is building a residential town in the Aghdam district, providing housing for 420 families. This project was developed by the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of Belarus in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. The plans include not only housing but also transportation and engineering infrastructure, as well as social facilities. Among other offerings, Belarusian builders are also introducing modular home technology for the territories liberated from occupation in Azerbaijan.

Belarus’s construction sector has extensive experience in building agro-towns. Their construction, in line with a special program initiated by Alexander Lukashenko, helped prevent social degradation in rural areas. Recently, Belarus has been working on agricultural projects in the “Smart Village” format.

Joining forces for productive peace

During the recent meeting, the President of Azerbaijan once again thanked the Belarusian leader for the Belarusian tractors gifted to the city of Shusha during their joint visit to the liberated territories in May 2024.

Azerbaijan's machinery industry has long maintained close industrial cooperation with Belarus. Since 2007, the Ganja Automobile Plant has been operating assembly lines for 16 models of MTZ tractors and 8 MAZ vehicles. For example, passenger buses powered by liquefied gas were assembled at the Ganja plant. Additionally, in June of this year, an agreement was signed for assembling specialized firefighting vehicles on MAZ chassis in Ganja for the needs of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Beyond the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ), the Ganja Automobile Plant collaborates with other Belarusian enterprises. Working with the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), it has produced heavy-duty trailers, and cranes have been manufactured for Mogilevtransmash. Under an agreement with Belkommunmash, Ganja began assembling modern, eco-friendly, and economical electric buses in 2019.

In 2019, the Ganja Automobile Plant launched a partnership with Gomselmash OJSC, assembling Polesye grain harvesters. This cooperation was recently renewed, with Gomselmash now refining a new Belarusian harvester based on orders from Azerbaijani partners. Additionally, Azerbaijan's machinery flagship in Ganja collaborates with Amkodor OJSC and the Bobruisk Plant of Tractor Parts.

In total, the Ganja Automobile Plant has assembled 14,000 Belarus-Azerbaijan tractors and 4,000 other machines. Collaboration is also expanding between other Belarusian and Azerbaijani enterprises. Furthermore, an assembly plant for Belarusian elevators is being established in Azerbaijan.

Industrial cooperation, along with other forms of economic partnership, is overseen by a special Azerbaijan-Belarus intergovernmental commission co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko of Belarus and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ali Ahmadov. The commission's 14th session was held on June 6, 2024, in Minsk, followed by the Belarus-Azerbaijan Business Forum on June 7.

Between 2021 and 2024, Belarus supplied Azerbaijan with fiberboard, pharmaceuticals, furniture, turbojet and turboprop engines, gas turbines, transformers, cables, other electrical products, timber, and food products. In the food sector, the iconic Belarusian dairy products have been a priority. Azerbaijani producers, in turn, are known in Belarus for their excellent fruits and vegetables, which have successfully replaced imports from unfriendly countries.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has also exported polymers, strong alcoholic beverages, nuts, canned fruits, juices, meat and edible offal, potatoes, clay, and other goods to Belarus. Azerbaijan’s Trade House in Minsk enjoys preferential terms for supplying the Belarusian market, while a network of Belarusian-branded stores operates in Azerbaijan. Recently, on October 12, the Belarusian company Keramin opened a retail showroom in Baku.

Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Belarus has seen significant growth this year. Last year, it amounted to $356 million, and by the end of 2024, it is expected to exceed half a billion dollars.

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus is also thriving in other fields. The National Academies of Sciences of Azerbaijan and Belarus have implemented 30 joint scientific and technical projects in economics, physics, chemistry, genetics, zoology, linguistics, energy security, optoelectronics, and laser technologies. Joint projects in education are progressing successfully, facilitated by the specially created advisory platform “Study in Belarus.” Today, over 200 Azerbaijani students are enrolled in Belarusian universities. Medicine, sports, tourism, and culture are other areas where Azerbaijan and Belarus are strengthening their partnership.

In May 2023, the First Azerbaijan-Belarus Youth Forum was held in Mingachevir, and in November of that year, Youth Days were celebrated in Minsk and Grodno. In April this year, Belarusian Culture Days were held in Azerbaijan. Many in Baku were taken back to their youth by a performance from the legendary ensemble Pesniary, while the artists from the Belarusian State Dance Ensemble, soloists from the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater, new films from the Belarusfilm studio, and exhibitions by Belarusian artists were also met with acclaim.

During Alexander Lukashenko’s state visit to Azerbaijan’s capital in May 2024, agreements were signed establishing sister-city relationships between Minsk, Gomel, and Grodno with Baku, Ganja, and Gabala.

Another critical area of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus is defence.

Compelling power of friendship

What is the force that underpins the unique bond between Belarus and Azerbaijan? Undoubtedly, the personal rapport between Ilham Aliyev and Alexander Lukashenko plays a crucial role. However, it is no coincidence that the leaders of both nations have such a deep mutual understanding and find common ground even on the most challenging issues. Minsk has consistently supported Baku, and Azerbaijan has always been ready to lend a hand to Belarus. It is fair to say that the ties between the two peoples span centuries, and together they have endured some of history’s most difficult times. Both Belarus and Azerbaijan understand all too well the devastation that war and hatred bring. It is no surprise, then, that in today’s independent Azerbaijan and Belarus, peace and neighbourly relations are held in such high regard.

Azerbaijanis and Belarusians are both hardworking peoples. Together, they have achieved an unprecedented leap forward, modernizing both society and the economy. They have defended their freedom and right to exist through difficult, sometimes life-threatening struggles. Today, as the world faces growing turbulence and the shadow of war looms once again, both Azerbaijan and Belarus remain hopeful that peace is still possible. Their example demonstrates that when two independent nations are committed to avoiding global conflicts, guided by goodwill and wisdom, friendship and cooperation will always prevail over the forces of evil.