BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu says His Majesty the King will witness the signing of important bilateral agreements between the Kingdom of Eswatini and Azerbaijan this week.
This visit builds on previous trips that have provided valuable insights implemented in Eswatini.
The current visit focuses on enhancing cooperation in several key areas, including the fuel and oil industry, service delivery, and mining sectors. Minister Shakantu highlighted the significance of Azerbaijan’s ASAN Service Centre system, which integrates multiple government services for public access. In this context, ICT Minister Savannah Maziya will sign an agreement that supports Eswatini’s initiatives to improve service delivery, such as the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) and the Government in Your Hand platform.
Additionally, a Cooperation Agreement between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC) will be signed.
This Agreement seeks to strengthen collaboration in ensuring the security of petroleum product supply, exploring opportunities within the petroleum industry, and advancing capacity-building initiatives, which will support the Strategic Fuel Reserve that Eswatini is establishing.
The Minister of Natural Resources will engage in high-level discussions with AzerGold Closed Joint Stock Company to explore areas of cooperation in the mining sector.
The recent Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Consultations, signed during the Comprehensive Consultations in 2023, established an institutional mechanism for regular engagement and consultation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries.
It provides a framework for reviewing all aspects of bilateral relations, holding regular political consultations, exchanging views on regional and international developments, promoting cooperation across political, economic, commercial, educational, and cultural spheres, facilitating technical exchanges and investment promotion, strengthening cooperation within multilateral organizations, and exploring new areas of strategic partnership.
This agreement lays the groundwork for a more structured and forward-looking partnership, reflecting the shared political commitment to enhancing bilateral engagement. Moving forward, there exists significant potential for both countries to deepen cooperation across various sectors in support of sustainable development, international collaboration, and mutual prosperity.
ABOUT AZERBAIJAN
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a transcontinental landlocked country at the boundary of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia’s Republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Turkey, via the exclave of Nakhchivan, and Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south.
Baku is the capital and largest city. Population is estimated at 10.3 million people and their currency is Manat.
WORLD URBAN FORUM
The World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change, and policies.
Convened by UN‑Habitat, the Forum is a high‑level, open, and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanization
OBJECTIVES:
- Raising awareness of sustainable urbanisation among stakeholders and constituencies, including the general public;
- Enhancing collective knowledge on sustainable urban development through open and inclusive debate, the exchange of best practices and policies, and the sharing of lessons learnt;
- Promoting collaboration and cooperation among diverse stakeholders and constituencies involved in advancing and implementing sustainable urbanisation.
- In 2016, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development was held in Quito, Ecuador, where the New Urban Agenda was adopted in alignment with the objectives of the World Urban Forum.
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