Azerbaijan, South Korea discuss expanding cooperation on key sectors

Azerbaijan and South Korea have discussed expanding cooperation as part of a meeting between Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov and a delegation led by South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said, during the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the current state and development prospects of Azerbaijan–South Korea relations, as well as on political dialogue, economy, trade, investment, digital development, education, transport, energy security, and other issues of mutual interest, Caliber.Az reports.

Minister Bayramov expressed satisfaction with the positive dynamics in bilateral relations. He noted that Azerbaijan’s large-scale infrastructure projects and its role in key regional transport and logistics routes linking Europe and Asia are creating new opportunities for international cooperation.

In this context, he highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor and ongoing efforts to expand transit and connectivity capacities.

The sides also discussed cooperation within multilateral platforms. Bayramov said that Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the upcoming Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) contributes to joint efforts aimed at strengthening dialogue and trust.

The discussions further covered cooperation in digital transformation, innovation, and high technologies, with both sides emphasising the importance of experience sharing and joint projects.

In education, they reviewed prospects for academic exchange programmes and initiatives aimed at developing human capital, including cooperation based on Korean educational standards and dual degree programmes between universities. The operation of the Baku State Vocational Education Centre for Industry and Innovation, established on Korean educational principles, was also highlighted as an important element of growing bilateral cooperation.

Energy cooperation was also addressed, particularly in the areas of energy security, renewable energy development, and the green transition.

Bayramov informed the Korean side about Azerbaijan’s recent decision to introduce visa-free travel for holders of all types of South Korean passports, noting that the move is expected to boost tourism and people-to-people contacts.

He also briefed the delegation on the Armenia–Azerbaijan normalisation process, efforts to advance the peace agenda, and the current situation regarding regional peace and stability.

The sides further noted the significance of the recent historic summit held in Washington for promoting regional cooperation, emphasising that the outcomes of the event have created new opportunities.

On the same day, the latest round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and South Korea was also held, co-chaired by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov and South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov