Azerbaijan and UK Agree to Establish Strategic Partnership
Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom agreed on a strategic partnership text during a trade commission meeting in Baku to expand energy and non-oil trade.
The Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United Kingdom agreed on the text of a document to establish a strategic partnership during the eighth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Baku on October 6, 2026. The document is slated for signing by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the British Prime Minister. To ensure immediate progress, the two nations will form a strategic partnership working group to implement outcomes before the formal signing occurs.
Co-chaired by Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and UK Minister of State Lord Anas Sarwar, the commission discussed cooperation in energy, healthcare, agriculture, cybersecurity, transport, and education. The meeting concluded with the signing of several documents to formalize these economic and trade relations.
Economic ties have grown rapidly, with bilateral trade increasing nearly sixfold in the first half of the year to $3.6 billion. Azerbaijan exported $3.48 billion worth of goods to the UK between January and August 2026, a 14.5-fold increase over the same period in 2025. The UK remains Azerbaijan's largest foreign investor, with over $39 billion invested. While cooperation remains centered on energy security through the Southern Gas Corridor and bp, both nations are expanding into green energy, including the upcoming Shafag solar power plant, and diversifying into non-oil trade.
