China expresses gratitude to Azerbaijan for evacuation support during Iran crisis

China expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for assisting in the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Iran amid the ongoing regional escalation, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei said during a briefing for media representatives.

Speaking at the briefing, Lu Mei noted that last year marked an important milestone in the development of Chinese-Azerbaijani relations, Caliber.Az reports.

She recalled that Xi Jinping and Ilham Aliyev met twice and jointly announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, elevating bilateral ties to a new stage of high-quality and comprehensive development.

According to the ambassador, relations between the two countries have continued to show strong momentum since the beginning of this year. At the end of January, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held talks in Beijing with Jeyhun Bayramov, who was visiting China.

During the meeting, Wang Yi said that regardless of changes in the international situation, China will view and develop its relations with Azerbaijan from a strategic perspective. He stressed the importance of maintaining contacts at all levels, deepening exchanges in public administration, expanding humanitarian cooperation, and strengthening mutual understanding between the two nations.

The Chinese foreign minister also emphasised the importance of aligning development strategies through the high-quality joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, which he said would contribute to the modernisation of both countries and benefit their peoples.

He further noted that China and Azerbaijan should work together to promote genuine multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the central role of the United Nations, and advance efforts to create a fairer and more balanced system of global governance. China, he added, is ready to actively support Azerbaijan in successfully hosting the upcoming summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence‑Building Measures in Asia.

Bayramov, for his part, said that Azerbaijan firmly believes that China’s development represents an opportunity for the entire world. He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s support for the global initiatives proposed by Xi Jinping and reiterated the country’s adherence to the “One China” principle, as well as its condemnation of Taiwan independence.

The Azerbaijani foreign minister added that Baku intends to use the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year as an opportunity to intensify high-level contacts, strengthen inter-party exchanges, and expand cooperation in trade, investment, transport connectivity, science, education, and tourism.

He also emphasised the importance of deepening coordination and interaction within multilateral platforms, including CICA and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The ambassador highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in assisting Chinese citizens during the current crisis in the region. According to Lu Mei, since the start of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, the Azerbaijani government has helped more than 600 Chinese nationals evacuate from Iran, facilitating their entry into Azerbaijan through the Astara border checkpoint.

“This is another concrete manifestation of the high level of political mutual trust between China and Azerbaijan. On this occasion, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for its support,” she said.

Lu Mei added that cooperation between the foreign ministries, parliaments, and ruling parties of the two countries will remain active, alongside expanding collaboration in trade, economics, and cultural exchanges.

She also noted that Azerbaijan will host several major international events this year, including the annual session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the World Urban Forum 13, and the CICA summit, as well as other multilateral gatherings in which China plans to participate actively.

China is ready to continue working with Azerbaijan to strengthen traditional friendship between the two countries, implement the key agreements reached by their leaders, and further advance their comprehensive strategic partnership, the ambassador concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova