BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 3. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev, who is currently on a visit to the United Kingdom, held a meeting with UK Minister of State for Europe, North America, and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty. The sides discussed issues related to regional stability, economic cooperation, and progress on climate commitments, Trend reports.
The British minister shared a positive assessment of the meeting on social media, stating: “The UK is a close partner of Azerbaijan. It was a pleasure to meet with Yalchin Rafiyev this week to discuss regional stability, economic cooperation, and progress on our climate commitments.”
Stephen Doughty also reaffirmed the UK's support for the swift signing of a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan.
In response, the Azerbaijani diplomat emphasized that the partnership between the two countries is built on a strong foundation, and that, if used effectively, it offers great opportunities for advancing shared interests. Rafiyev also praised the UK’s constructive role at COP29, the 29th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Baku last year. “The UK's constructive participation was extremely important for achieving forward-looking outcomes at COP29,” he said.
It is worth noting that on April 29, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a phone conversation with Stephen Doughty.
In the UK political system, a Minister of State effectively acts as a deputy to a Secretary of State and oversees specific policy areas within the ministry, playing a significant role in shaping government policy and representing the country internationally.