By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo | Noting that Azerbaijan consistently supports global climate action and has made green growth one of the key priorities of its development, Ambassador Ramin Hasanov of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Seoul said on May 22, “President Ilham Aliyev declared 2024 as a Year of Solidarity for a Green World to foster momentum on climate action at a national level and beyond.”

 

“In this respect, we hope to actively cooperate with Korea which has great experience and excellent know-how in the said fields,” said Ambassador Hasanov at the reception for the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan held at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul.

 

Commenting that Azerbaijan and Korea are connected through 32 years of positive experience since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Amb. Hasanov said, “Our bilateral cooperation today is very dynamic and has a rich content as well as huge potential for further expanding.”

 

 

He continued to say, “Azerbaijan is the largest economic and trade partner of Korea in the South Caucasus. At present, 82 Korean companies are registered in Azerbaijan while operating in the fields of trade, industry, construction and services. The trade turnover between our countries increased last year by almost 60%. Korea is one of the biggest foreign direct investors to Azerbaijan’s non-oil sector.” 

 

Saying that Korea and Azerbaijan are maintaining constructive political dialogue based on mutual interests, Amb. Hasanov said, “2023 was notable with the official visit by the Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament to Korea giving significant impetus to foster and understanding political exchange between our friendly countries. The two countries are actively cooperating within various international and regional organizations.” 

 

 

He added, “Cultural and people-to-people relations are also firmly flourishing. Dozens of Azerbaijani young people are studying in Korean universities, with most of them in Korean language. At this point let me highlight also active commitment by KOTRA and KOIKA representations in Azerbaijan, which have an important part in promoting public interest and awareness in Azerbaijan for Korea.”

 

A large number of foreign ambassadors, senior diplomats, high-ranking Korean and foreign government officials, business leaders, and their spouses attended the event filled with great fervor and festivity.

 

 

Among the VIP guests at the reception were Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Cho Koo-rae and Kim Hyo-eun, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Among foreign ambassadors on hand at the gala reception were Aida Ismailova of the Kyrgyz Republic, Nabeel Munir of Pakistan, Begench Durdyyev of Turkmenistan, Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega of the Philippines, Nurgali Arystanov of Kazakhstan, Murat Tamer of Turkiye, and Carlos Penafiel of Mexico.

 

 

In his congratulatory remarks, Cho Koo-rae, deputy minister for planning and coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Korea and Azerbaijan have built friendly relations for more than 40 years and the bilateral trade volume has been on a constant rise Moreover, Korea and Azerbaijan have actively engaged in various high level exchanges for the recent years.”

Deputy Minister Cho added, “We also share various cultural barriers such as respect for the elders as well as emphasis on the solidarity of the community. This affiliation has been an important engine for accelerating our friendship despite the geographical distance between the two countries. Nowadays, growing interest in the Korean language and K culture in Asia will make closer our friendship.”

 

 

On May 28, 1918, Azerbaijani People made a very crucial step in restoring its centuries-old statehood. With establishment of the Democratic Republic on that day, Azerbaijan not only proclaimed its independence, but also laid the foundation for its political, economic and cultural development model which was going to lead the country 1 century later to its well-deserved, respected place among the world states, which Azerbaijan proudly holds today.