Azerbaijani president in New York: LIVE PHOTO / VIDEO

Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, is currently on a working visit to New York City, United States of America, to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Second day of the visit

On September 23, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, at the UN headquarters in New York.

The Finnish President congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the historic achievements reached in Washington, noting that Finland has always supported peace in the region, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the congratulations and recalled that during Finland’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE, the decision was made to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan and Armenia have now entered a period of peace.

The conversation highlighted the importance of joint efforts to advance the peace agenda.

The presidents also discussed bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Finland, collaboration within international organizations, and exchanged views on Azerbaijan–European Union relations.

On September 23, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, at the UN headquarters in New York.

During the conversation, the heads of state hailed the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Kenya. They noted that the opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Kenya has given impetus to the development of bilateral relations. The two leaders underlined the importance of mutual visits at various levels, touching upon the organization of visits by delegations of government officials to further enhance bilateral ties. In this regard, they highlighted that there are ample opportunities for cooperation in energy, agriculture, industry, and other fields.

The heads of state exchanged their views on cooperation between the two countries within international organizations.

On September 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, at the UN headquarters in New York.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe congratulated the head of state on the achievements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the congratulations.

During the conversation, they discussed the significance of the Washington meeting, which included the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, the initialing of an agreement on the normalization of relations between the two countries, and the Washington Declaration signed in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump. The importance of these developments in ensuring lasting peace in the region was emphasized.

Alain Berset highlighted the Council of Europe’s support for the regional peace agenda.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe fondly recalled his visit to Azerbaijan during COP29 and his meetings with the head of state during that time and other international events.

During the meeting, they shared their views on cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe.

On September 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, at the UN headquarters in New York.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the historic meeting held in Washington, stressing the significance of these achievements in strengthening regional peace.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the congratulations and emphasized that Azerbaijan is the initiator of the peace agenda in the region. The President highlighted the importance of the Washington meeting in advancing the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and noted the significant role played by U.S. President Donald Trump in this context. It was underlined that the agreement reached during the Washington meeting on establishing an unimpeded transport corridor between the main part of Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic holds great importance for regional connectivity.

The sides also acknowledged successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Greece in the energy sector and emphasized the importance of expanding ties in the economy, trade, and tourism, as well as revitalizing the activities of the Intergovernmental Commission.

On September 23, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, President of the Republic of Iraq, at the UN headquarters in New York.

The President of Iraq congratulated the head of state on the advancement of the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan, particularly on the initialing of an agreement in Washington on the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the congratulations and stated that Azerbaijan would continue its efforts to advance the peace agenda. The head of state highlighted the special role of U.S. President Donald Trump in achieving results in Washington.

During the conversation, the Iraqi President’s visits to Azerbaijan and his meetings with President Ilham Aliyev were recalled with satisfaction.

The meeting addressed the role of the Intergovernmental Commission in developing relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq, as well as cooperation in energy, tourism, and other fields. Additionally, they exchanged views on cooperation within international organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other institutions.

On September 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the high-level debates held at the UN headquarters in New York as part of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres greeted President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly, underway at the UN headquarters in New York, has brought together more than 150 heads of state and government. The session, themed “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” features discussions on pressing global issues, including ongoing conflicts across the world, the Sustainable Development Goals, the climate crisis, and other challenges. The session will continue until September 30.

First day of the visit

On September 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Jonathan Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone, in New York.

Jonathan Gray underlined that Azerbaijan’s economic reforms and development processes have created attractive opportunities for international investors. He noted that Blackstone is keen to expand its successful cooperation with Azerbaijan, particularly with the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and highly praised the favorable investment environment established in the country.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to cooperation with leading global financial institutions, noting that the country’s economic environment, built on principles of stability, transparency, and sustainable development, provides a solid basis for new partnerships.

Founded in 1985 in New York, Blackstone is one of the world’s largest alternative investment management companies. Its investment portfolios cover private equity, real estate, credit, infrastructure, data centers, renewable energy, and hedge funds. The company currently manages assets worth over 1 trillion US dollars and operates in 27 cities worldwide, including London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

On September 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with George Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Neuberger Berman, in New York.

The sides exchanged views on the current state and future prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Neuberger Berman.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined that Azerbaijan attaches importance to expanding cooperation with international financial institutions and reputable investment companies, expressing confidence that the partnership with Neuberger Berman will continue to develop successfully.

It was noted during the meeting that the effective partnership between the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Neuberger Berman, established in 2016, has contributed both to the development of Azerbaijan’s financial sector and the expansion of international investment opportunities.

George Walker briefed the President on his company’s global financial and investment activities, expressing satisfaction with the existing cooperation with Azerbaijan. He stressed the significance of economic processes in the region for the company and pointed out that opportunities to expand the partnership through new projects are currently being explored.

Founded in 1939 in New York, Neuberger Berman is a global investment management firm that today manages assets worth over half a trillion US dollars for international institutions, advisors, and individual investors.

On September 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met in New York with Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s largest alternative investment management companies.

Bruce Flatt noted that his visit to Azerbaijan in 2023 left a deep impression due to the country’s economic achievements and development processes. He highlighted the increasingly expanding successful cooperation between his company and the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Bruce Flatt congratulated Azerbaijan on the results achieved in Washington regarding the normalization of relations with Armenia, stating that this creates favorable opportunities for deepening economic cooperation in the region.

Hailing the successful development of relations between Azerbaijan and Brookfield Asset Management, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that this creates broad opportunities for the long-term strategic development of their cooperation.

During the conversation, they shared their views on Azerbaijan’s potential in the renewable energy sector and the prospects for the country to become a regional energy hub.

Brookfield Asset Management, founded in 1899 and headquartered in Canada, is a leading global company in alternative investment management. The company manages investment portfolios in key areas such as infrastructure, real estate, renewable energy, private equity, and credits. Currently, the total value of assets under Brookfield’s management exceeds $1 trillion. The company is represented in major financial centers worldwide, including New York, London, Sydney, Dubai, São Paulo, Mumbai, and Shanghai.

On September 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in New York City, United States, on a working visit to participate in the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed by officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

By Vafa Guliyeva