The ceremony was followed by a conversation between President Aliyev and Ambassador Somé, focusing on the future of bilateral relations.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s keen interest in developing comprehensive relations with Burkina Faso. He highlighted the significant opportunities for expanding cooperation in various sectors, particularly in the economic and trade spheres. The President stressed the importance of identifying specific areas for collaboration, including exploring potential Azerbaijani investments in Burkina Faso.
Discussing cooperation within international organizations, President Aliyev underscored the importance of mutual support in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. He highlighted Azerbaijan’s successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement over the past four years, during which the country focused on addressing issues such as colonialism and neo-colonialism. President Aliyev criticized France’s neo-colonial policies, stressing Azerbaijan’s opposition to such practices and its advocacy for the independence and freedom of peoples subjected to colonial oppression by France, which has a history marked by colonialism. He also praised the active role of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations in this area within the international non-governmental movement.
Addressing France’s biased stance towards Azerbaijan, President Aliyev noted that France had revealed its true colors by acting unfairly against Azerbaijan in the United Nations and the European Union following Azerbaijan’s liberation of its lands.
During the conversation, the President mentioned that the Azerbaijani ambassador to the African Union had been tasked with fostering closer relations with African countries and planning specific bilateral cooperation initiatives across various domains.
Ambassador Vinta Somé expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and conveyed greetings from Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré. He congratulated President Aliyev on his re-election, the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, and the country’s successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement.
President Aliyev thanked President Traoré for the greetings and congratulations, and asked Ambassador Somé to convey his own greetings to the President of Burkina Faso.
Ambassador Somé expressed Burkina Faso’s readiness for comprehensive strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan, noting that a large Azerbaijani delegation would soon visit Burkina Faso. He highlighted promising prospects for collaboration in energy, agriculture, training, education, counter-terrorism, and other spheres.
Ambassador Somé also appreciated Azerbaijan’s support in the fight against colonialism and highlighted the developments taking place in the coastal region of Africa, underlining that the Pan-African movement has strengthened and gained new momentum on the continent.
Additionally, the ambassador wished Azerbaijan success in organizing COP29 and noted that Burkina Faso would be appropriately represented at the event.
