A Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership has been signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Globalinfo.Az reports that the document was signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Andy Burnham.
We present the full text of the Declaration:
“The Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”).
Building on long-standing relations between the two countries and recalling the Joint Declaration on Friendship and Cooperation of 23 February 1994 and the Joint Declaration on Friendly Relations and Partnership of 21 July 1998, acknowledging the strength, depth and dynamism of bilateral relations, they express their shared determination to elevate relations based on mutual respect, common interests and practical cooperation to the level of a Strategic Partnership.
Reaffirming once again their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, the principles and norms of international law, in particular the principles concerning respect for internationally recognised borders, as well as for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Emphasising the significance of the Washington Peace Summit Declaration of 8 August 2025 and welcoming the subsequent peace steps taken towards the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reaffirms its continued support for the efforts of the two countries aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region through bilateral dialogue.
Acknowledging that strong, sustainable and diversified economic growth, open trade, investment and innovation are essential foundations of long-term stability and prosperity for both Participants.
Recognising that sustainable partnerships are built on trust, openness and strong people-to-people ties, both sides affirm the importance of practical cooperation in the fields of education, science, innovation and skills as a foundation for long-term growth and digital transformation. The Participants also recognise the mutual benefit of direct engagement with communities and undertake to support projects and programmes that deliver the purpose of this Partnership.
The Participants have agreed as follows:
- Defence and Security
The Participants share a long-term commitment to strengthening cooperation in the field of defence and security in order to support regional peace and stability, and to enhancing their capacity to deter, prevent and respond to common threats.
They will remain committed to a sustained momentum of high-level interaction and will deepen coordination on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The Participants will develop defence cooperation focused on training, capacity building and interoperability, and will explore opportunities to strengthen defence industry cooperation, including joint initiatives in areas of mutual interest.
They will strengthen cooperation across a broad range of security priorities in response to growing security challenges and threats.
In addition, the Participants will build enhanced partnership between law enforcement agencies and border management, as well as judicial and legal cooperation, to strengthen the rule of law and institutional resilience.
They also affirm their intention to cooperate in multilateral platforms where interests coincide, jointly contributing to international peace and security.
- Trade, Investment and Growth
The Participants share the ambition to expand and deepen bilateral trade and investment relations and to promote sustainable, inclusive and diversified economic growth.
They will strengthen cooperation in the economic, trade and investment spheres by facilitating long-term commercial partnerships, knowledge exchange and interaction in priority sectors, including renewable energy, infrastructure and services, and by promoting business-to-business ties that create jobs, skills and value in both economies.
The Participants emphasise the importance of regional and international connectivity and will support the development of the Middle Corridor along with transport, logistics and infrastructure projects that facilitate cross-border trade and investment.
They will cooperate on the clean energy transition, including the development of renewable energy, green financing and low-carbon technologies, to support climate resilience, sustainability and progress towards net-zero goals, as well as energy security.
The Participants will explore opportunities to deepen cooperation in financial and capital markets through dialogue between relevant authorities and financial institutions, with the aim of supporting sustainable investment, trade finance, SME growth and green financing. In accordance with their respective laws and regulations, they will facilitate knowledge exchange and institutional cooperation that strengthen the resilience and transparency of the financial sector and its access to international markets.
The Participants attach particular importance to the role of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation as a mechanism that stimulates economic, trade and investment cooperation, as well as technical dialogue. They will use it as a key platform to advance joint initiatives on investment, economic diversification, the development of the Middle Corridor and energy cooperation.
III. Education and Innovation
The Participants acknowledge that education, science, research and innovation are essential factors of long-term prosperity, productivity and social sustainability, as well as the foundation of modern, competitive and inclusive economies.
Responding to growing labour market and governance needs, they will deepen cooperation in the field of education and skills development, including higher education, vocational education and training, digital and technical skills, as well as executive and public sector training.
Focusing on skills development, transparency and inclusive growth, the Participants will also promote research, innovation and technological cooperation, including partnerships between universities, research institutes and industries cooperating in the fields of digitalisation, emerging technologies and life sciences, also through the exchange of experience on artificial intelligence, digital governance and the innovation environment.
The Participants will encourage people-to-people exchanges and professional networks that promote mutual understanding, cultural ties and long-term cooperation between the two civil societies.
Final provisions
The Participants agreed to hold annual Strategic Partnership meetings to review progress across the three directions of this Declaration, identify priorities for future cooperation and agree on practical monitoring of progress.
Cooperation within the framework of this Declaration will be subject to the availability of resources and will be in accordance with the respective laws and regulations of the Participants.
Adopted in the city of Dublin on 12 November 2026, in two original copies in the Azerbaijani and English languages, both texts being equally authentic”.
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