Azerbaijan, UK Strengthen Diplomatic Dialogue with First Consular Consultations

The first consular consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom were held in London.

The Azerbaijani delegation was led by Emil Safarov, Head of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, while the UK delegation was led by Sarah Taylor, Director of Consular and Crisis at FCDO, and Mark Clayton, Deputy Director and Head of the Central Asia and Eastern Neighbourhood Department at FCDO, The Caspian Post reports, citing the ministry.

The consultations were attended by Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom, officials from the foreign policy institutions of both sides, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, as well as staff from the UK Home Office on migration, visas, and legal assistance issues.

During the consultations, the current state and prospects of ties between the two countries in the consular sphere were discussed, including the possibility of signing relevant bilateral documents and digitizing consular services.

Discussions were also held on ensuring the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens of both countries, visa issues, and crisis management.

Emphasis was placed on the importance of exchanging experience on the latest innovations implemented in the consular sphere, strengthening ties in migration, education, justice, extradition, and legal assistance in civil and criminal matters.

The sides agreed to hold the next round of consular consultations in Baku.