On June 17, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with a delegation led by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Chung Eui-hae, who is currently on a visit to Azerbaijan.
According to the information provided to Operative Information Center-OMM by the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting involved an exchange of views on the current state and development prospects of Azerbaijan-Korea relations. Key topics included political dialogue, economy, trade, investment, digital development, education, transport, energy security, and other issues of mutual interest.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov expressed satisfaction with the development dynamics of the bilateral relations. He emphasized that Azerbaijan's large-scale infrastructure projects, as well as the country's pivotal role in regional transport and logistics routes connecting Europe and Asia, create new opportunities for international cooperation. In this context, the significance of the Middle Corridor and ongoing efforts to expand transit and connectivity capabilities were highlighted.
The parties also discussed cooperation within multilateral platforms. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the upcoming Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), to be held under Azerbaijan's chairmanship this year, contributes to joint efforts aimed at strengthening dialogue and trust.
Furthermore, the sides explored opportunities for cooperation in digital transformation, innovation, and high technologies, emphasizing the importance of experience exchange and joint projects. Prospects for cooperation in education, academic exchange programs, and initiatives aimed at human capital development were reviewed. The activities of the Baku State Vocational Education Center for Industry and Innovations, established based on Korean educational standards, and dual degree programs between universities were cited as important areas of growing cooperation.
Energy cooperation, particularly regarding energy security, the development of renewable energy sources, and projects related to the green transition, was also a key focus of the discussions.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed the delegation about Azerbaijan's recent decision to implement a visa-free regime for all types of Korean passport holders. The parties emphasized that this step would make a significant contribution to expanding cooperation in tourism and other sectors, as well as increasing people-to-people contacts.
The Foreign Minister provided detailed information on the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the advancement of the peace agenda, and the current situation regarding the provision of sustainable peace and stability in the region.
Additionally, the parties noted the importance of the historic summit held in Washington for promoting regional cooperation, emphasizing that the results achieved within the framework of the summit create new opportunities.
On the same day, the next round of political consultations was held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Korea. The delegations were led by Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov on the Azerbaijani side and Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae on the Korean side.
Context: Azerbaijan and South Korea have maintained diplomatic relations since 1992. Over the past three decades, the two nations have strengthened ties, particularly in the energy, construction, and technology sectors, with South Korean companies playing a significant role in various infrastructure projects across Azerbaijan.
