Azerbaijan hails growing Kuwait partnership

25/05/2026

KUWAIT CITY, May 25: Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the State of Kuwait Emil Karimov said the Azerbaijani-Kuwaiti relations in the political, economic and tourism fields continue to develop. Karimov made the statement at an event organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 108th Anniversary of the National Independence of the country at the Crowne Plaza Hotel recently. Present at the event were Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Hamad Al-Mishaan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mishaal, and a number of ambassadors and diplomatic figures.

Ambassador Karimov congratulated Al-Mishaan on his appointment and wished him success in his new position. He affirmed that the presence of Al-Mishaan as a guest of honor at the event is highly appreciated, especially since the occasion is among the first official events he attended after assuming his post. He went on to confirm that the two countries are bound by friendship and brotherhood, indicating that Azerbaijan welcomed more than 32,000 Kuwaiti tourists last year. He said the foundations of Azerbaijani-Kuwaiti relations were laid during the first meeting between nations.

Leader Heydar Aliyev and HH the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Casablanca in 1994. He added that the two sides also met in Copenhagen and New York in 1995. He pointed out that the visit of Aliyev to Kuwait in 2009 signaled the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations. He cited high-level reciprocal visits, such as the visit of the Kuwaiti foreign affairs minister to Azerbaijan in 2023 to participate in the Non-Aligned Movement conference hosted by Baku. He said HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled visited Azerbaijan in 2024 to attend the COP29 Leaders Summit -- the first visit by a Kuwaiti Crown Prince. He affirmed that the latter’s meeting with President Ilham Aliyev strengthened bilateral relations and opened new horizons for cooperation in various fields.

He expressed his appreciation for the hospitality of Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Jarrah Al-Jaber during the first round of political consultations between the two countries’ foreign affairs ministers and their deputies on Feb 13, 2025 in his capacity as Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister at the time. He revealed that the consultations included fruitful discussions on different aspects of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He added that direct flights between the two countries are operated by Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways, taking less than two hours. He then extended an invitation to the attendees to visit Azerbaijan.

By Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff