Azerbaijan, Switzerland mull expanding bilateral ties, climate diplomacy, and regional stability

On April 25, a new round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Switzerland was held in Bern.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Caliber.Az that the Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, while the Swiss side was led by Muriel Peneveyre, Assistant State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Eurasia Division.

During the consultations, the sides discussed bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Switzerland in the political sphere, emphasising the importance of mutual visits and meetings on the sidelines of international events to maintain a sustainable political dialogue.

They also reviewed the current state and prospects for cooperation in the economic, energy, transport, and humanitarian fields, as well as their partnership within international organisations.

The need to develop the relevant legal and contractual framework to expand cooperation across a number of areas was highlighted.

Fariz Rzayev provided information on Azerbaijan’s climate diplomacy, the country's contribution to the global climate agenda, its chairmanship of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the initiatives put forward, and the successes achieved within the session.

The Swiss side was also briefed in detail about the post-conflict situation in the South Caucasus region, the process of normalising relations with Armenia, the steps taken by official Baku to ensure sustainable peace, the landmine problem on territories liberated from occupation, and the large-scale reconstruction efforts underway.

At the conclusion of the consultations, the sides exchanged views on regional and international issues, as well as other topics of mutual interest.

As part of the visit, Fariz Rzayev also held a number of other working meetings.

By Tamilla Hasanova