BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 25. The opening ceremony of the 1st Azerbaijan-UK Policy Dialogue was held at ADA University on September 25, organized by the Institute for Development and Diplomacy (IDD).
Organized in partnership with the British-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce and bp, the event brought together more than 50 distinguished experts. Participants included members of parliament, senior government officials, researchers from universities and think tanks, media specialists, and independent experts.
The two-day event will focus on Azerbaijan-UK bilateral relations and strategic partnership in a changing global order, regional security, cooperation, and foreign policy priorities in the South Caucasus, energy cooperation and economic diversification, and public diplomacy through education, science, and innovation. The dialogue will foster mutual understanding and practical cooperation on regional and global challenges.
The opening ceremony was addressed by Dr. Fariz Ismailzade, Vice-Rector of ADA University and Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Fergus Auld, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Mr. Bakhtiyar Aslanbeyli, Vice President for the Caspian Region of bp.
The first panel of the program, dedicated to the topic “Azerbaijan-United Kingdom Bilateral Relations and Strategic Partnership in a Changing Global Order”, was attended by Lord Aamer Sarfraz, Members of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament, Mr. David Duguid, Former MP of UK Parliament, and then by Mr. Samad Seyidov and Ms. Sevinj Fataliyeva, Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
During the first day of the program, participants, Sir Liam Fox, Chairman of the UK Abraham Accords Group, Prof. Emma Edhem, Alderman of The City of London Corporation, Rehman Chishti, Former MP of UK Parliament and Former Foreign Office Minister, and Dr. Matthew Offord, Former MP of UK Parliament, noted the importance of developing a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom, strengthening bilateral relations, and exploring new cooperation opportunities.
