On April 11 and 12, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a series of bilateral meetings in Antalya with the leaders of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Türkiye, Syria, Georgia, Sudan, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, focusing on regional cooperation, bilateral ties, and global issues, including reconstruction efforts, strategic partnerships, and the climate agenda.
During the meeting with Ersin Tatar, the de-facto President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, on April 11, the two leaders recalled previous engagements, including Tatar’s participation in the informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Shusha. Ilham Aliyev welcomed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ inclusion as an observer in the organization and praised the growing cooperation. Ersin Tatar expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s continued support and for Ilham Aliyev’s statements at the ADA University forum. The leaders also discussed reciprocal visits and broader cooperation.
During the meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, on April 11, both presidents commended the deepening brotherly and allied relations across all spheres. Ilham Aliyev thanked Erdoğan for the invitation to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and described the platform as globally significant. They exchanged views on bilateral cooperation, the situation in the South Caucasus, and developments in the Middle East.
During the meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa, Interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic, on April 11, Ilham Aliyev congratulated Syria on recent positive developments and announced the reopening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Damascus. He confirmed Azerbaijan’s willingness to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts. Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed gratitude and highlighted future cooperation in energy, infrastructure, and security. He raised concerns about external interference in Syria’s stabilization and proposed trilateral cooperation involving Azerbaijan, Syria, and Türkiye. Both sides agreed to facilitate reciprocal visits, and Ahmed al-Sharaa accepted an invitation to visit Azerbaijan.
During the meeting with Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, on April 11, the leaders emphasized their nations’ long-standing friendship and strategic partnership. Kobakhidze recalled his January visit to Azerbaijan and noted progress in implementing bilateral cooperation measures. He welcomed President Aliyev’s comments at ADA University, which had resonated in Georgia. Ilham Aliyev stressed the importance of unity and solidarity amid global instability and emphasized that regional issues in the South Caucasus should be addressed by regional actors themselves.
During the meeting with Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman, President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan, on April 11, the Sudanese leader praised the historical ties and global influence of Azerbaijan. He underscored Sudan’s interest in expanding cooperation in the mining, oil, energy, and investment sectors. The two leaders also discussed collaboration in education and training. Ilham Aliyev recalled Al-Burhan’s participation in the 2019 Non-Aligned Movement Summit and noted progress in bilateral relations. They agreed to organize reciprocal visits and strengthen cooperation on international platforms.
During the meeting with Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, on April 12, both sides expressed satisfaction with Berset’s visit to Azerbaijan during COP29 and noted that significant decisions were made regarding the global climate agenda. They also exchanged views on enhancing future relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe’s executive structures.