To His Excellency Mr. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

I cordially congratulate you on the commencement of your tenure as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We attach great significance to forged relations of friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. It is gratifying that our ties, rooted in fine traditions, are further growing and deepening year by year.

Presently, the scope of the issues on our bilateral agenda is considerably extensive. The United Kingdom is a top investor country in Azerbaijan and is among our major trading partners. Engagement between our countries in the political, cultural, educational and other domains is also developing dynamically.

I would particularly highlight the time-tested strategic partnership ties between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom in the energy area. We highly appreciate our countries’ close partnership on energy security matters and the United Kingdom’s close involvement and support for the large-scale projects we implement. In the meantime, we are also delighted by our engagement in the transition to clean energy with BP – our close and reliable partner of the last 30 years in oil and gas production.

The involvement of the companies from the United Kingdom in the major restoration and reconstruction efforts across the territories we liberated from occupation two years ago is commendable. We welcome the UK’s contribution to the work on mine clearance and elimination of unexploded ordnance as they remain a significant impediment to the socioeconomic reintegration of East Zangazur and Karabakh regions.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to cement the friendship between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom, deepen our bilateral ties in every field and further expand our mutually beneficial cooperation.

I renew my congratulations and offer my best wishes of robust health, happiness and success in your future endeavors for the sake of the prosperity of the friendly people of the United Kingdom.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 26 October 2022