President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of Akambi Andre Okunlola-Biau, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Benin.

The ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev had a conversation with the ambassador.

The head of state stressed the necessity of expanding the bilateral agenda, noting that Azerbaijan is actively working on the African continent, with the country’s embassy operating in the African Union. The Azerbaijani President expressed Azerbaijan’s interest in comprehensively enhancing relations with this organization. President Ilham Aliyev fondly recalled cooperation with Benin during Azerbaijan’s four-year chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, commending Benin's role as a member state in supporting Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the organization. The head of state noted that this chairmanship created a valuable opportunity to establish close contacts with African countries and mentioned the significance of COP29 in terms of cooperation with these countries. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan values the interests of African countries regarding climate issues.

The head of state highlighted the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, agricultural, educational, and other areas.

Expressing gratitude for the kind words, the ambassador conveyed the greetings of Patrice Talon, President of the Republic of Benin, to the President of Azerbaijan and stated that the President of Benin holds a friendly attitude toward the Azerbaijani leader.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked the diplomat to communicate his own regards to the President of Benin, adding that he looks forward to seeing President Patrice Talon at COP29.

Conveying his congratulations on COP29 and the ongoing successful preparations for this event in the country, the ambassador noted that Azerbaijan will become the center of the world in November and emphasized that Benin intends to be represented at a high level at COP29.

Akambi Andre Okunlola-Biau conveyed his congratulations on Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, expressing his satisfaction with the special attention given to the African continent during the country’s chairmanship.

During the conversation, the sides praised the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Benin within international organizations, particularly the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other institutions, noting that the two countries consistently support each other's candidacies in the UN and its structures.

Highlighting that five students from Benin studied in Azerbaijan last year under the country's scholarship program for African countries, the ambassador expressed his gratitude for this opportunity.

The meeting included an exchange of views on training various personnel from Benin in Azerbaijan, expanding economic and trade relations, and enhancing cooperation in the agricultural sector.