Turkish foreign minister to visit Azerbaijan for high-level talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Azerbaijan on Sept. 15-16 for high-level talks focusing on bilateral relations, defense cooperation, regional developments and economic ties, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said Monday.

During his visit, Fidan is scheduled to hold bilateral and delegation-level meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

He is also expected to meet with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and be received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The talks are expected to address the progress in Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations, which have developed to a strategic level.

Fidan is expected to express Ankara's satisfaction with the current state of bilateral ties and emphasize the need to step up efforts to achieve the $15 billion trade volume target set by the presidents of the two countries, according to the sources.

Energy and transportation projects are also expected to feature prominently on the agenda, alongside discussions on ongoing cooperation in the defense industry, security and military fields.

The two sides are also expected to review cooperation in multilateral platforms, particularly the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Fidan is expected to consult with Azerbaijani officials on the 13th OTS summit and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), both of which Türkiye will host in the near future.

Regional security and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process are also expected to be key topics during Fidan's meetings, according to the sources.

Fidan is expected to describe the current period as a "historic opportunity" for establishing lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He is also expected to reiterate Türkiye's support for the establishment of good-neighborly relations between the two countries and welcome recent positive developments in the peace process.

The minister is expected to underline Türkiye's support for efforts to improve infrastructure in Karabakh, restore the functionality of energy and trade routes, and strengthen regional connectivity.

Fidan and his Azerbaijani counterpart are also expected to exchange views on current regional and international developments during the visit, according to sources.