Baku: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov recently welcomed Chung Eui-hae, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, during his visit to Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this meeting, which took place on June 17, where both sides explored the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan-South Korea relations, covering a wide range of topics such as political dialogue, economic partnerships, trade, and more.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Minister Bayramov expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing positive development in the bilateral relations between the two nations. He highlighted Azerbaijan's strategic infrastructure projects and its pivotal role in the regional transport and logistics networks bridging Europe and Asia. The discussion underscored the significance of the Middle Corridor and Azerbaijan's efforts to enhance transit and connectivity opportunities.
The meeting also touched on cooperation within multilateral platforms, with Minister Bayramov pointing out the upcoming Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). This summit, under Azerbaijan's chairmanship, aims to bolster dialogue and confidence in the region.
Both parties explored avenues for collaboration in digital transformation, innovation, and high technologies. They stressed the importance of sharing experiences and implementing joint projects in these domains. Additionally, they reviewed opportunities for cooperation in education, focusing on academic exchange programs and human capital development. Notably, the Baku State Vocational Education Center for Industry and Innovations, based on Korean educational standards, and dual degree programs between universities were highlighted as key areas of cooperation.
The energy sector was another focal point, with discussions on energy security, renewable energy development, and green transition projects. Minister Bayramov also announced Azerbaijan's decision to introduce a visa-free regime for South Korean passport holders, aiming to boost tourism and enhance people-to-people contacts.
Furthermore, Minister Bayramov briefed the Korean delegation on the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, their peace efforts, and the current regional stability. The historic summit held in Washington was also noted for its role in promoting regional cooperation and the new opportunities it has presented.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on other regional and international issues of mutual interest. On the same day, a new round of political consultations between the two countries' foreign ministries took place, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov from Azerbaijan and Deputy Minister Chung Eui-hae from South Korea.