Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received the newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, Dmytro Shlapachenko, on September 2, with the two discussing UN-Azerbaijan cooperation, reconstruction in post-conflict areas, humanitarian demining and environmental challenges.

Shlapachenko presented his credentials to Aliyev and described Azerbaijan as an important UN partner. He noted the country’s role in hosting major UN events, including COP29 and the World Urban Forum in Baku. 

Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the UN and recalled the country’s hosting of major international events. According to Aliyev, the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue would also be held this year in cooperation with the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

Shlapachenko welcomed Azerbaijan’s support for UN agencies and noted that the organization was ready to contribute its expertise to the country’s development programmes. He placed particular attention on reconstruction in Garabagh and East Zangezur, where large-scale restoration and construction work is underway.

Humanitarian demining was another central issue. Shlapachenko reiterated that the UN was ready to provide assistance and share its expertise, while Aliyev underscored the scale of mine contamination in the liberated territories and its impact on reconstruction and construction. 

The meeting further covered environmental concerns in the South Caucasus. The sides considered measures to improve the ecological condition of transboundary rivers and strengthen monitoring, as well as the continuing decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea.

The meeting brought UN-Azerbaijan cooperation into practical areas, with both sides identifying further opportunities for joint work.