On May 16, an official welcome ceremony was held for Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Belarus, who arrived in Azerbaijan for a state visit. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, first held a one-on-one meeting with Lukashenko. After this, Aliyev and Lukashenko participated in an expanded meeting to discuss matters of mutual interest further.

Bilateral documents

On the same day, a ceremony of signing documents was held with the participation of Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus.

Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Baghirov and Chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Orlovsky signed the "Protocol between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on the mutual use of the electronic system for certification of the origin of goods."

Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Majnun Mammadov and Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Bartosh signed the "Protocol on additions and amendments to the Agreement dated May 2, 2007, on cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Belarus in the field of plant quarantine and protection," and the "Protocol on additions and amendments to the Agreement dated May 2 2007 on cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Belarus in the field of veterinary medicine".

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Aleinik signed the "Action Plan on the Development of Tourism Cooperation between the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus for 2024-2025".

Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov and Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus Alexei Bogdanov signed the "Memorandum on Mutual Understanding and Cooperation between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus in the fields of competition policy, public procurement, protection of consumer rights and advertising activities."

Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov and Director of the State institution "National Agency for Investment and Privatization" of the Republic of Belarus Dmitry Krasovsky signed the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State institution "National Agency for Investment and Privatization" of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus."

Head of Baku City Executive Authority Eldar Azizov and Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev signed the "Memorandum on the establishment of a sister city relationship between the city of Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan) and the city of Minsk (Republic of Belarus)."

Head of Ganja City Executive Authority Niyazi Bayramov and Chairman of Gomel City Executive Committee Vladimir Privalov signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a sister city relationship between the city of Ganja (Republic of Azerbaijan) and the city of Gomel (Republic of Belarus)."

Head of the Gabala District Executive Authority Sabuhi Abdullayev and Chairman of the Grodno City Executive Committee Andrei Valerevich Khmel signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a sister city relationship between the city of Gabala (Republic of Azerbaijan) and the city of Grodno (Republic of Belarus)."

Press statements

During the press statements, President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan highlighted the immense task of rebuilding areas devastated by conflict, emphasizing that an area equivalent to 50 percent larger than Lebanon must essentially be reconstructed from scratch. He emphasized the extensive destruction caused during the years of occupation and the necessity of rebuilding infrastructure, housing, public buildings, and historical monuments. President Aliyev extended an invitation to Belarusian companies to participate actively in this endeavor.

Additionally, specific instructions were issued during the discussions, focusing on Belarus's expertise in urban planning, modern technologies, and building agro-towns. President Aliyev underscored the importance of providing employment opportunities for returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the liberated territories.

The discussions also encompassed regional security matters within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). President Aliyev briefed President Lukashenko on the post-conflict situation in the South Caucasus, emphasizing Azerbaijan's conflict resolution “through military and political means by international law, UN Security Council resolutions, and humanitarian principles.” 

Aliyev highlighted the enduring friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus over the past two decades, emphasizing “shared values of kindness, dignity, honesty, and a focus on achieving tangible results.” 

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, during a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, stated that “there are no closed topics” in the relations between Belarus and Azerbaijan. He highlighted that the two countries share a similar worldview and understand its direction. "…Everything is open in our relations. If someone heard what issues we discussed, they would wonder about our relations. We enjoy the best, closest relations. We communicate like brothers, we have the same worldview and understand where it is moving," Lukashenko said. 

Lukashenko offered Belarus's assistance to Azerbaijan in restoring the de-occupied territories. He emphasized the importance of reviving these lands and bringing people back. Lukashenko expressed Belarus's readiness to support Azerbaijan with equipment, agro-town construction, job creation, and certain technologies.

Highlighting Azerbaijan's growing influence in the region, Lukashenko praised Aliyev's leadership. "A very powerful and normal leader in the person of Azerbaijan has appeared here. You can control the Caucasus region," he remarked. Lukashenko added that Aliyev is now responsible for the broader situation in the Caucasus and expressed confidence in his leadership. "Time has chosen you, as we say, and you are responsible for the Caucasus region as a leader," Lukashenko concluded.