Azerbaijan has officially opened its permanent embassy
premises in Nairobi, signaling a renewed commitment to strengthening
diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with Kenya.
The inauguration held on June 3, 2025, coincided with the 20th
anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The event was attended by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia
Mudavadi.
The two leaders underscored the significance of the new diplomatic mission.
Mudavadi said that Kenya looks forward to expanding the areas
of collaboration with Azerbaijan in the future.
He highlighted recent achievements, including last month’s
inaugural Kenya-Azerbaijan Bilateral Political Consultations in Nairobi.
“We held a successful inaugural Kenya-Azerbaijan Bilateral
Political Consultations last month in Nairobi and the discussions revolved
around a wide range of topics, including trade and investment, agriculture,
energy, education, defence, industry, multilateral cooperation, and peace and
security,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to implementing the
agreed outcomes of the consultations.
These include the finalisation of pending
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and initiating new ones in ICT, education,
and defense.
“Kenya commits to implementing the agreed action points,
including accelerating the finalization of pending Memoranda of Understanding
and initiating MoUs in ICT, Education, and Defense,’’ he stated.
The Azerbaijan embassy has played a key role in fostering
bilateral engagement, reinforcing Nairobi’s role as a regional diplomatic hub since it was established in 2023.
Bayramov expressed gratitude to the Kenyan
government for creating a conducive environment for diplomatic engagement.
‘’I thank the Kenyan government and acknowledge the
favourable environment and conditions created by Kenya as our host for the
proper functioning of the diplomatic mission we have inaugurated today,’’
Bayramov said.
Bayramov also noted Kenya’s strengths in youth empowerment,
sports and culture, areas he said Azerbaijan hopes to learn from and
collaborate on.
“We are impressed by
Kenya’s youth and cultural policies and hope to deepen cooperation in these
sectors,” he said.
In bilateral talks held earlier, Mudavadi and the
Azerbaijani delegation discussed shared global governance priorities,
particularly in climate change.
Mudavadi
congratulated Azerbaijan for successfully hosting COP-29 in Baku and invited
support for Kenya’s bid to host the Global Plastics Treaty Secretariat in
Nairobi.
Additionally, Kenya invited Azerbaijan to co-sponsor two
resolutions, on Artificial Intelligence and on Sports and the Environment, at
the upcoming 7th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), to be
held in Nairobi in December 2025.
“The 7th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) will
be held in Nairobi in December 2025. In this regard, Kenya proposes to sponsor
two resolutions at the Assembly, that is, Artificial Intelligence and Sports
and the Environment. I would like to invite Azerbaijan to join us in
co-sponsoring the resolutions. We will provide additional information in due
time,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi also pledged Kenya’s participation in the 13th
Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF) to be held in Baku in 2026, aiming to
foster dialogue on sustainable urban development.
Minister Bayramov ended his visit with a meeting at State
House with President William Ruto, where he extended an invitation for a State
Visit to Azerbaijan.