Comrade Philippe Sandwidi, Director General of Institute of Higher International Studies (INHEI) of Burkina Faso's Foreign Ministry and Mr. Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 11, 2026, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Through this partnership agreement, INHEI and BIG commit to developing joint actions in the fields of research, training, and strategic dialogue, The Caspian Post reports via the message of Burkina Faso's Foreign Ministry on Facebook.

In addition, this Memorandum opens new perspectives for the Burkinabe diplomatic institute, particularly for teachers and trainees, to open up to other diplomatic schools and to strengthen their skills in diplomacy and international relations in an international context in full mutation.

The signing of this Memorandum is also a major event for the BIG, as it is the first time it is forming a strategic partnership with a state institution.

The choice of Burkina Faso and its diplomatic institute to form this partnership is explained by the fact that the BIG considers our country as a key player for peace and sovereignty on the African continent.

The agreement signed covers several areas of cooperation, including academic exchanges for the mobility of experts and researchers between Ouagadougou and Baku, strengthening capacities through the organization of seminars and training workshops for INHEI trainees, diplomats, teachers, and Burkinabe, and the co-organization of conferences and roundtables on major international issues.

For the first person in charge of INHEI, cooperation with the BIG is part of a diversification of partners advocated by the highest authorities of our country and contributes to the promotion of Burkinabe diplomacy.