Azerbaijan and UK sign strategic partnership declaration

The document was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Dublin on November 12, 2026.

The declaration outlines three key areas of cooperation: defense and security, trade and investment, and education and innovation.

According to the declaration, the participants share a long-term commitment to strengthening cooperation in defense and security in support of regional peace and stability, and to enhancing their ability to deter, prevent and respond to common threats.

They will commit to the sustained momentum of high-level engagement, and deepen coordination on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, said the document.

The two countries agreed to expand military training, capacity building, defense industry cooperation, law enforcement and border management. They also pledged to strengthen coordination on regional and international security issues.

On the economic front, both sides committed to boosting trade and investment, developing renewable energy projects and supporting the Middle Corridor to improve regional transport and connectivity. Cooperation in financial markets, green finance and infrastructure development is also among the priorities.

The participants attach particular importance to the role of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation as a mechanism for driving economic, trade and investment cooperation, and technical dialogue, according to the document.

They will use this as the principal platform to advance joint initiatives on investment, economic diversification, Middle Corridor development and energy cooperation, it added.

The agreement further emphasizes cooperation in higher education, vocational training, scientific research and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital governance. Both countries also intend to promote academic exchanges and closer ties between their societies.

The declaration says that the participants will promote research, innovation and technological cooperation, including partnerships between universities, research institutions and industry, collaborating on digitalisation, emerging technologies and life sciences, including through the exchange of expertise on artificial intelligence, digital governance and innovation landscape, with a focus on skills development, transparency and inclusive growth.

The participants will encourage people-to-people exchanges and professional networks that foster mutual understanding, cultural ties and long-term collaboration between the two civil societies, it said.

Under the declaration, Azerbaijan and the UK will hold annual Strategic Partnership meetings to review progress, establish priorities for future cooperation, and decide on a practical path forward.

Earlier, Qazinform reported the United States, Azerbaijan and Armenia had launched trilateral technical planning groups to accelerate the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).