Azerbaijan, UAE to sign new consular agreement

First-ever consular consultations have been held between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

They were attended by delegations led by Emil Safarov, head of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, and Faisal Lutfi, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE.

The current state and development prospects of consular cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, an important partner country for Azerbaijan, as well as the possibilities of signing new bilateral documents in the field and digitizing consular services, were reviewed during the consultations.

In addition, the sides exchanged views about the application of a visa-free regime for the citizens of both countries with civil passports based on the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on the exemption from entry visas for persons holding civil, diplomatic and special/service passports”, from July 8 of this year.

The parties exchanged experience on the latest innovations in the consular field and emphasized the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries in migration, justice, and other fields.

They agreed to hold the next meeting of consular consultations in Baku in 2024.