Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations


The relations with the CIS countries form the priority in the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. One of the strategic allies of Azerbaijan in the post-Soviet area is Ukraine. Despite the absense of borders between Azerbaijan and Ukraine, the relations between the two countries are developing.

The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine were established on February 6, 1992. Though Azerbaijan and Ukraine recognized independence of each other within a short time, opening diplomatic missions took a long time. The embassy of Ukraine to Azerbaijan started its activity on May 5, 1996, while the embassy of Azerbaijan to Ukraine opened on March 17, 1997.

However, the relations between the two countries have been developing very rapidly. During the March events in Azerbaijan in 1997, when an armed group attempted to overthrow the government, the then Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma supported Heydar Aliyev.

A few days later, on March 23, 1995, Heydar Aliyev received the former deputy prime minister of Ukraine Valeriy Shumarov. The relations and cooperation between the two countries were discussed at the meeting.

Participating at the ceremony dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory over the fascism held in Moscow on May 9, 1995, President Heydar Aliyev met his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kuchma. The presidents agreed to hold a meeting on the levels of presidents and other officials for developing the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations.

On June 30, 1995, the Ukrainian Prime Minister Yevgeny Marchuk visited Azerbaijan and discussed with President Heydar Aliyev the program of the meeting to be held between the presidents. President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma paid an official visit to Azerbaijan on July 26-28, 1995. Together with Heydar Aliyev he visited a refugee camp. Later Leonid Kuchma met the administration of SOCAR, the businessmen and the staff of Baku Air Conditioner Plant. At the press conference dedicated to the results of the visit, the presidents noted the potentials for developing the Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations. President Leonid Kuchma expressed his support to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The next meeting between Heydar Aliyev and Leonid Kuchma took place on October 24, 1995, during the 50th anniversary of the UN. They also met during the funeral ceremony of the former president of France Francois Mitterand on January 11, 1996. Heydar Aliyev paid his official visit to Ukraine on March 24-25, 1997.

After a welcoming ceremony at the Mariinsk Palace, President Heydar Aliyev had a tete-a-tete meeting with his counterpart Leonid Kuchma. The Ukrainian-Azerbaijani relations and the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were discussed at the meeting. Leonid Kuchma stated his support to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev was also awarded with the highest order of Ukraine "Yaroslav Mudriy". One of the important outcomes of Heydar Aliyev`s visit to Ukraine was the signature of the statement on development of the relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan and the memorandum in cooperation on the sphere of oil and gas.

The diplomatic relations between the two countries established by the presidents were continued by the officials. For example, the delegation headed by the first deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Tkachenko, minister of culture Dmitriy Ostapenko and other officials visited Azerbaijan in 1996.

Furthermore, the strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine developed within the frames of GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova). On October 10, 1997 the presidents of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova signed a statement on the establishment of GUAM.

Throughout 1997 and 1998 the mutual visits of officials continued. The relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine cover a wide range of fields from energy to defence industry. Azerbaijan and Ukraine actively cooperate within the frames of GUAM and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.

The business conference of the member-countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization was held on April 28, 1997. President Heydar Aliyev met President Leonid Kuchma there and discussed a few issues with him.

The next assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization took place in Yalta on June 4-5. 1998. There Heydar Aliyev met his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kuchma once more. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the cooperation between the two countries within the frames of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization were discussed there.

Along the presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Bulgaria, the president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma took part at the international conference on the Great Silk Road organized in Baku on September 7-8, 1998. There Heydar Aliyev and Leonid Kuchma discussed the perspectives of cooperation of Ukraine and Azerbaijan within the Great Silk Road project.

President Heydar Aliyev took part at the 60th anniversary of President Leonid Kuchma held in Yalta in August 1998. Meeting there, the two presidents discussed the cooperation programme between Azerbaijan and Ukraine for 1999. The top officials of Ukraine, including prime minister Mikhail Hladyny, foreign minister Boris Tarasyuk visited Azerbaijan in 1999.

Heydar Aliyev visited Ukraine on November 3, 1999 in order to take part at the inauguration ceremony of the re-elected Leonid Kuchma. The Ukrainian President paid an official visit to Azerbaijan on March 16-17, 2000. As a result of the visit, some bilateral documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. Heydar Aliyev also presented Leonid Kuchma the order of "Istiglal".

Afterwards the officials of the two countries paid mutual visits throughout 2000 and 2001. On July 19, 2002 Heydar Aliyev paid a working visit to Yalta. On January 28-28, 2003 Heydar Aliyev visited Kiev in order to take part at the informal summit of the member-states of CIS. There he negotiated with his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kuchma. The Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations and the solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict were discussed at the meeting.

During the presidency of Aliyev the relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine continued to develop rapidly.

One of the first meetings of Ilham Aliyev as President was held with the Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovich. Congratulating Ilham Aliyev on his election President, Viktor Yanukovich stated his will to maintain the existing level of the bilateral relations. In his turn, Ilham Aliyev noted that the relations would develop.

On June 3-4, 2004, President Ilham Aliyev visited Ukraine officially. During his visit Ilham Aliyev met President Leonid Kuchma, prime minister Viktor Yanukovich, chairman of the parliament Volodymyr Litvin.

At the meeting of presidents the economic cooperation, cooperation within the frames of GUUAM, relations with EU, and NATO, political, and socio-economic situation in the two countries were discussed. Touching the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Leonid Kuchma emphasized that Ukraine supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the peaceful solution of the conflict.

Later Ilham Aliyev paid working visits to Ukraine on October 27-28, 2004, April 22, 2005, and June 16, 2005.

Ilham Aliyev visited Ukraine officially on May 22, 2006. During that visit he met some Ukrainian officials and took part at the summit of the heads of the member-states of GUAM.

On September 7, 2006, president of Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko visited Azerbaijan officially. The issues of cooperation on trade and economy, as well as on oil transportation were discussed during the visit.

On June 16, 2007, Viktor Yuschenko visited Azerbaijan. Within the frames of the visit a tete-a-tete meeting of the presidents were held. The presidents expressed their satisfaction on the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine and its development. They also underlined the increase of the role of GUAM in the international politics.

Ilham Aliyev visited Ukraine officially on May 24, 2008. On June 30 of the same year Viktor Yuschenko paid a working visit to Azerbaijan. The two presidents visited the area to be determined for a new office of the Ukrainian embassy to Azerbaijan, and took part at the opening ceremony of the monument to the prominent poet Taras Shevchenko.

The Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko visited Azerbaijan on April 4, 2009. A tete-a-tete meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine, as well as the first meeting of the Council of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine were held during the visit. Several bilateral documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Ukraine then.

The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko signed the plan of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine in 2009-2010.

Tens of documents signed between the two countries prove the importance of bilateral relations.

The strategic allience between Azerbaijan and Ukraine covers a wide range of relations beginning from international cooperation to economic and military cooperation. Despite the changes in the governments of the two countries, the bilateral relations continue to develop and cover new spheres of cooperation.

On the diplomatic level Azerbaijan and Ukraine successfully cooperate within the frames of GUAM and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. In economic sphere the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine covers a lot of fields from energy security to agriculture.

On the cultural level there are good relations between the two nations. Thanks to the processes ongoing for many years, Ukraine has become Azerbaijan`s strategic ally. The two countries support each other in international arena. Thanks to the systematic and regular approach to the mutual relations, Azerbaijan and Ukraine have become reliable countries in the world politics.