On August 5, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of Miles Robert Armitage, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The ambassador presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state then had a conversation with the ambassador.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that the ambassador would make frequent visits to Azerbaijan and engage in productive discussions on the future development of bilateral relations with Azerbaijani government representatives. The President of Azerbaijan emphasized that, despite the geographical distance between the two countries, there is significant potential for developing economic and trade relations.

Touching on political relations, President Ilham Aliyev acknowledged the existing fruitful ties but noted that cooperation in utilizing investment opportunities and increasing trade turnover is still lacking.

The head of state expressed hope that the ambassador would spare no effort to expand cooperation in all these areas during his tenure.

Ambassador Miles Robert Armitage expressed great satisfaction at being in Azerbaijan and noted that there is significant work ahead to enhance bilateral relations. He highlighted the strong opportunities for cooperation in the fields of economy and trade.

Miles Robert Armitage congratulated the President on Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 and emphasized promising opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in this area.

He praised Azerbaijan’s swift preparations for the COP29 Conference and its support for small island states, particularly their participation in the upcoming Summit.

The ambassador also expressed Australia’s interest in establishing lasting peace in the region and normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that Azerbaijan will continue its efforts to advance the regional peace agenda and noted that peace already exists in the region.

The meeting also covered discussions on developing political dialogue between the two countries and establishing business relations in the mining industry, green energy, shipbuilding, and among business communities.