No:146/26, Press release on the first political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and The Gambia
08 April 2026 11:24
On 7 April, the first round of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of The Gambia was held in Banjul. Prior to the consultations, a courtesy call was paid by the delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yalchin Rafiyev on the Chief of Staff of the Office of the President of The Gambia, Alieu Njie. During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and The Gambia, built on mutual respect and solidarity. The importance of strengthening existing cooperation in areas of mutual interest and identifying new avenues of collaboration was emphasized.
The sides underlined that the first round of political consultations serves as an important platform for enhancing diplomatic ties and exploring new opportunities for cooperation.
Subsequently, the first round of political consultations was held, co-chaired by Deputy Minister Yalchin Rafiyev and the First Permanent Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, Lang Yabou.
During the consultations, the importance of more effective use of existing opportunities for the development of bilateral relations was emphasized, and the importance of taking appropriate steps in the areas of cooperation, especially in the areas of economy, trade, education, tourism, energy, and combating climate change, was noted. At the same time, Azerbaijan’s contributions to human capital development in The Gambia and the successful implementation of humanitarian projects were welcomed, and interest was expressed in continuing cooperation in these areas. The sides highly appreciated the existing cooperation within multilateral platforms, particularly the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement, and emphasized the need to further expand relations in these frameworks.
On the same day, the Azerbaijani delegation met with the Mayor of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe. During the meeting, issues related to the World Urban Forum to be hosted by Azerbaijan, as well as potential areas of cooperation in the humanitarian field, were discussed.
