UK PM's envoy to eye energy security, climate change, demining in Baku
By Sabina Mammadli
UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Baroness Emma Nicholson, who is visiting Azerbaijan, is expected to discuss opportunities for strengthening further commercial partnership, energy security, climate change and demining in liberated lands, the UK embassy has reported.
Nicholson is in Baku for three days to mark the 30th anniversary of UK-Azerbaijan diplomatic relations and to expand trade relations between the two countries.
The envoy will meet a number of senior interlocutors during her visit. The key topics for discussion will be regional energy security, climate change, UK support for the life-saving work of removing mines in liberated areas, and further expansion of the commercial partnership, including renewables.
Starting on 9 March, the visit will focus on the UK’s support for Azerbaijan’s economic diversification and its transition to clean energy as well as exploring further commercial opportunities in the reconstruction of the recovered territories. The visit will culminate on the 11th March with a celebration of 30 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Azerbaijan at the world-famous Heydar Aliyev Centre, designed by UK architect Zaha Hadid.
The visit, which began on March 9, will focus on the UK's support for Azerbaijan's economic diversification and transition to clean energy, as well as exploring additional commercial opportunities in the reconstruction of the recovered territories. The visit will end on March 11 with a celebration of 30 years of diplomatic UK-Azerbaijan relations at the world-famous Heydar Aliyev Centre, designed by UK architect Zaha Hadid.
Baroness Nicholson will meet the new British Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan, visit ADA University, and meet UK companies and partners in the FinTech, ICT, and marine sectors. She will also be visiting the “Birgə və Saglam” Autism Centre funded by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and BP.
Baroness Emma Nicholson, speaking about the visit, stated that it is fantastic to be able to return to Baku after a two-year absence due to the COVID pandemic. She emphasized that the oil and gas sector, as well as energy security, are critical and will remain central to bilateral relations for decades to come.
“However, with every visit to Azerbaijan, I am delighted to see how cooperation between the two countries is expanding into new sectors, be it healthcare, ICT, finance, green energy, or demining,” Nicholson said.
She also expressed delight to be attending events both at the Foreign Ministry and the Heydar Aliyev Centre to celebrate and showcase all that is great about UK-Azerbaijan relations.
This is Baroness Nicholson’s ninth visit to Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan and the UK are cooperating in different spheres of the economy. There are already 30 years of successful cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, which entered a new stage of development in line with the challenges of the global energy sector. The energy sector accounts for $ 28.8 billion out of $ 30.6 billion of the UK investments in Azerbaijan's economy. The UK is also the biggest investor in Azerbaijan.
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