Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland were established on March 11, 1992 [1] , after recognition of the independence of Azerbaijan by Great Britain on December 31, 1991. In September 1992 , the British Embassy began operations in Azerbaijan as a trade representative. Azerbaijan and Great Britain have each other's diplomatic missions in their capitals. [2] [3] Both of these countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) .
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Content
- 1 History
- 2 Modern relationships
- 2.1 Economic relations
- 2.1.1 Oil and gas industry
- 2.1.1.1 "Contract of the Century"
- 2.1.1.2 BP
- 2.1.1.3 New “Contract of the Century”
- 2.1.1 Oil and gas industry
- 2.1 Economic relations
- 3 Cultural ties
- 3.1 British Council
- 4 Diaspora
- 5 See also
- 6 External links
- 7 References
History
The first Azerbaijani-British relations arose at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries , during the years when Azerbaijan was part of Tsarist Russia . In the early years of the 20th century, British companies invested 60 million manat in Azerbaijani oil companies. In 1904 , 47% of the demand for kerosene in Great Britain was covered by Azerbaijani products. The British company Vickers Limited was the first company to receive a license for the production of technical equipment for a cracking unit . [one]
The British expedition was sent from Baghdad to Baku on January 18, 1920 , in order to capture valuable oil fields . The British troops were commanded by General Lionel Densterville , who arrived in Baku in August 1918 . After the battle of Baku , Densterville went to Persia in September of that year [4] . His troops remained in Baku until 1920 , until the onset of the Bolshevik forces made their presence impossible. During this time, the de facto existence of diplomatic relations between the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the British Empire was through the High Commissioner of Great Britain in the Caucasus , which was located in Tbilisi .
Modern Relationships
The latest history of relations begins with the formation of the Republic of Azerbaijan . The Azerbaijani Embassy in London has been operating since 1994 . [3]
The first official visit of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the United Kingdom took place on February 22-25, 1994 ; negotiations were held with Prime Minister John Major and Foreign Minister Douglas Heard.
During the first visit, an agreement was signed regulating cooperation between the two countries - "Joint Declaration of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom ." [5]
The second official visit of Heydar Aliyev to Great Britain took place on July 19-24, 1998 . The second visit played a major role in the development of relations between the two countries. [one]
After the appointment of Ilham Aliyev as President of Azerbaijan , in December 2004 he paid a visit to the UK . During the meeting with the British Prime Minister , the “Declaration of Friendship and Partnership”, signed in 1998 , was reaffirmed. Also, the Joint Communique was adopted as the basis for bilateral relations.
On May 7, 2008 , the Minister of State for European Affairs of the British Ministry arrived in Azerbaijan on a visit. [1] [5]
On July 12-13, 2009 , President Ilham Aliyev paid another visit to the UK and met with Gordon Brown . G. Brown praised the expansion of Azerbaijan’s ties with the European Union .
On September 3, 2013 , Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov paid a visit to London and met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague .
Economic Relations
One of the largest foreign investors in Azerbaijan is the United Kingdom . About 100 British firms operate in Azerbaijan . [one]
During the visit of Heydar Aliyev to Great Britain on November 28, 1995 , important meetings were held. He also participated in a conference organized by the Adam Smith Institute on the topic "Investment Opportunities in Azerbaijan." The memorandum on the establishment of the Azerbaijani-British Trade and Industrial Council was signed during this conference.
British Minister of Industry and Energy Brian Wilson arrived in Baku on June 3-5, 2002 to participate in the traditional annual Oil-Gas 2002 exhibition
Oil and gas industry
The Contract of the Century
On September 20, 1994, an agreement was concluded in Baku in the Gulistan Palace, which, due to its great importance, was called the “Contract of the Century”. The agreement on the shared distribution of the products of the deep-water fields Azeri , Chirag , Guneshli was reflected in 400 pages and 4 languages. The contract represents two British companies - BP and Ramco. [6]
BP
The company is one of the largest operating in the oil and gas complex of Azerbaijan. Work is carried out through a subsidiary of BP Azerbaijan. [7]
New Contract of the Century
On September 14, 2017, Azerbaijan signed a new agreement with 11 international companies (between SOCAR (state oil company) and BP , Chevron , INPEX, Statoil , ExxonMobil , TP, ITOCHU , ONGC Videsh, etc.) on the operation of three offshore oil fields - Azeri , Chirag and Guneshli . [8] The contract was concluded until 2050 (the previous transaction was concluded until 2024 ).
On September 14, 2017, the President of Azerbaijan also met with British State Minister Alan Duncan. It was discussed the signing of the "Contract of the New Century", as well as the further development of British-Azerbaijani relations. [9] [10]
"I think this is really very good news for Azerbaijan and the UK. This is an incredible contract that will make a significant contribution to the economy of Azerbaijan. We had a" Contract of the Century ", now we have received a" Contract of the New Century. "It personifies the proximity of Azerbaijan and Great Britain. I’m proud that this agreement was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and BP, " said British Minister Alan Duncan. [eleven]
The share of the Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) is now 25% instead of 11.6%.
Cultural Relations
On February 23, 1994 , President Heydar Aliyev and British Prime Minister John Major signed an agreement on cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture. This agreement laid the foundation for cultural cooperation between the UK and Azerbaijan .
British Council
The British Council is the main organization that establishes the scientific and cultural ties of Great Britain with foreign countries. [12]
The British Council is the main mediator of England between the two countries in the field of education , science and culture .
On July 21, 1998 , a joint Declaration was signed by Heydar Aliyev and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair .
Diaspora
In the UK today there are 6 diaspora organizations:
- “Homeland, Azerbaijan Development Society”,
- “British Azerbaijani community”,
- "Society of Azerbaijan Turks",
- Azerbaijan Society,
- “Azerbaijan Youth Club”,
- Caspian-Khazri
as well as the London Azerbaijan House, the Azerbaijan Association of Barsley Communities, the Azerbaijan-Turan Cultural Center. [5]
See also
Azerbaijan , Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
United Kingdom
Contract of the Century (1994)
Azeri-Chirag-Guneshali
BP , State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan
External links
Links
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Welcome to Heydar Aliyevs Heritage Research Center . lib.aliyevheritage.org. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ List of foreign embassies in the Republic of Azerbaijan . azerbaijan.orexca.com. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 FS. Embassy of The Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . london.mfa.gov.az. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ History: British Relations with Azerbaijan . Archived April 12, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Political aspects of Azerbaijani-British relations . articlekz.com. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Azərbaycan :: Baş səhifə (azerb.) . www.azerbaijans.com. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Our history | BP in Azerbaijan | BP Caspian bp.com. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Mustafayev, Kama . "Contract of the Century": Norwegian mirages of Azerbaijan (English) , BBC Russian Service (September 15, 2017). Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Sputnik. The new "Contract of the Century" will form the basis of cooperation between Baku and London . ru.sputnik.az. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Official site of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan - NEWS »Meetings Ilham Aliyev met with the British Minister of State . ru.president.az. Date of treatment February 2, 2019.
- ↑ CBC.AZ. Alan Duncan: (English) . CBC.AZ. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Year of Science and Education of Great Britain and Russia 2017 | British Council . www.britishcouncil.ru. Date of appeal September 21, 2017.