BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7. Azerbaijan and the UK have signed a memorandum of cooperation on transport and digital development.
Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, reported this on his X account.
"We held a meeting with the UK Minister of State for Trade of the Department of Business, Innovation and Trade, Anas Sarwar.
During the meeting, we discussed the development of a strategic partnership between our countries, in particular, the issues of expanding cooperation in the spheres of transport, digital development, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
We signed a memorandum of understanding together with the roadmap for cooperation in the field of transport and digital development and agreed on the creation of a joint working group to coordinate the implementation of the measures provided for in the document," the minister’s publication said.
The publication emphasized that during the meeting there was also an exchange of opinions on the possibilities of development of transport infrastructure and financing of priority projects.
On October 6, the 8th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of the UK was held in Baku, co-chaired by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Shahbazov and Sarwar.
During the meeting, views were exchanged regarding the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan-UK relations, and discussions focused on opportunities to expand cooperation in areas such as political dialogue, economy and trade, energy, transport and digital infrastructure, agriculture, humanitarian affairs, and healthcare. The meeting emphasized that the UK has been one of Azerbaijan's key economic partners for over 30 years. At the meeting, it was noted that the UK is the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan, with investments exceeding $39 billion. Last year, trade turnover between the two countries increased by 67%. In the first half of this year, trade turnover rose 5.5-fold, reaching $3.6 billion, while Azerbaijan's exports to the UK rose 24-fold.
The 14% growth in transit freight traffic between Azerbaijan and the UK in 2025 was assessed as an indicator of positive momentum in transport sector cooperation. Encouragement was given for greater participation by UK companies, as well as the UK Export Finance (UKEF) agency, in infrastructure and logistics projects along the Middle Corridor. Furthermore, discussions covered the implementation of joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data centers, and human capital development, along with the preparation of a roadmap for these areas.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a protocol was signed, along with four other documents covering cooperation in green energy, transport connectivity, and urban mobility. These documents included a Memorandum of Understanding between Xlinks and the Green Corridor Alliance, a Roadmap between UKEF and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, as well as agreements on cooperation with relevant UK institutions and companies in transport, education, and other sectors.
Additionally, an action plan covering the years 2026–2027 and comprising more than 60 measures across 10 areas has been adopted.
