Azerbaijan, Afghanistan's leaders discuss economic ties on sidelines of ECO Summit in Baku

By Alperen Aktas and Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) – Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov on Wednesday met with Afghanistan's acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar in Baku on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit.

Asadov noted that Azerbaijan has been an active contributor to regional cooperation efforts since joining ECO in 1992, pointing to its economic, energy, and transport initiatives as shared assets for member states.

The two discussed ways to increase bilateral engagement in trade, transit, the economy, and humanitarian areas, as well as reviewing shared interests within the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan trilateral cooperation format.

Baradar, for his part, urged Baku to officially recognize Afghanistan's ambassador to Azerbaijan, his office said on X.

He underscored the importance of keeping the Lapis Lazuli Corridor open, which is an international transit route linking Afghanistan to Türkiye via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

He stressed that the corridor is highly significant for increasing the level of trade and transit between Afghanistan and the countries of the region.

Baradar also urged Azerbaijan to cooperate with Afghanistan on several fronts, such as education and agriculture.