Azerbaijan, Netherlands hold first consular consultations in The Hague PHOTO

The first round of consular consultations between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and the Netherlands has been held in The Hague, marking a new step in bilateral cooperation on consular and migration-related issues.

According to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, the meeting took place on June 22 and focused on a broad range of topics of mutual interest, including the current state and future prospects of cooperation in the consular sphere, visa policy, and the expansion of collaboration in the areas of labour, internal affairs, justice, and legal assistance.

The Azerbaijani delegation was led by Emil Safarov, Head of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Dutch side was headed by Jeroen Roodenburg, Director of the Consular Affairs and Visa Policy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

During the consultations, the parties agreed to establish a bilateral cooperation mechanism aimed at further strengthening ties in the consular field.

As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation also held talks with officials from the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, where discussions focused on migration, readmission, and other related areas of cooperation. The sides also exchanged experiences and best practices.

On June 23, the delegation met with representatives of the Netherlands-based offices of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The following day, the Azerbaijani delegation was received by Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). During the meeting, Azerbaijani officials were briefed on the organisation's activities and exchanged views on the implementation of HCCH conventions to which Azerbaijan is a party, as well as on prospects for further cooperation between the country and the organisation.

The consultations reflect growing engagement between Baku and The Hague on consular, legal, and migration-related matters and are expected to contribute to closer institutional cooperation in the future.