On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Ding conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s greetings and best wishes to Aliyev, noting that 32 years have passed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Azerbaijan. During this period, mutual political trust has continuously strengthened, and bilateral relations have matured.
Ding recalled the meeting between Xi and Aliyev in Astana in July, where they jointly announced the elevation of China-Azerbaijan relations to the level of a strategic partnership. Ding emphasized that both sides should work to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and continuously advance China-Azerbaijan relations from a new starting point and at a high level.
Aliyev, in turn, asked Ding to convey his sincere greetings to Xi. He emphasized that Azerbaijan and China are true strategic partners, with a stable bilateral cooperation that includes frequent high-level meetings. Highlighting the importance Azerbaijan places on its relations with China, Aliyev expressed support for Xi’s major initiatives and stated that Azerbaijan is eager to actively cooperate on the Belt and Road Initiative.
Aliyev expressed Azerbaijan’s desire to elevate bilateral relations with China by expanding cooperation in areas such as international transportation, trade, investment, industry, and renewable energy across the Caspian Sea. He added that Azerbaijan is committed to strengthening international cooperation with China, supporting multilateralism, promoting inter-civilizational dialogue, and advancing equity and justice within the international community.