Azerbaijani-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership

On 24 November 2025, students of the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations had the opportunity to attend the lecture “Azerbaijani-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership” given by His Excellency Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Mr. Seymur Mardaliyev.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Director for Scientific and Pedagogical Work of the ESIIR Olena Pryiatelchuk emphasized the importance of developing bilateral Azerbaijani-Ukrainian relations, since Azerbaijan is indeed a powerful strategic partner of our state and the ties between the two countries are actively developing both in the political and economic spheres and in the educational, cultural and humanitarian sectors.

At the beginning of the event, Seymur Mardaliyev greeted the students of the Institute: “I am pleased to speak here today because the IIR has a strong scientific school and traditions of training diplomatic personnel which are widely known in Azerbaijan,” he noted.

During the lecture, Mr. Ambassador outlined the main milestones of the history of Azerbaijan as an independent state, its path to success and economic prosperity after the collapse of the USSR and the key security initiatives that helped the official Baku develop the “Azerbaijani model” of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Despite the air alert, the meeting continued in the shelter, and the students were able to listen to Mr. Ambassador’s speech in safe conditions. This fact really emphasized the importance of the dialogue and the resilience of the Ukrainian educational community.

Seymur Mardaliyev also thoroughly analyzed the existing areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine, while emphasizing that not only political interactions but also economic, trade and transport and logistics cooperation are important for the parties. “At the same time, it should be noted that there is no Azerbaijani enterprise that was included in the list of counterparties facilitating re-export of goods to Russia,” he stressed.

In addition, His Excellency touched upon the humanitarian cooperation between the parties during the Russian-Ukrainian war. According to the Ambassador, Azerbaijan contributes to the restoration of the energy sector of Ukraine, participates in reconstruction projects (in particular, in the city of Irpin) and supports initiatives for the rehabilitation of persons affected by military actions: for example, since the beginning of the great war, 460 Ukrainian children have already undergone medical and psychological rehabilitation in Azerbaijan.

“Today, we strive deepening and developing strategic relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan in all areas. These interactions are extremely important,” concluded Seymur Mardaliyev.

“Such cooperation is also necessary in the field of education because joint educational and expert projects will contribute to strengthening relations between the parties in future,” emphasized Director of ESIIR Valerii Kopiika when resuming the Ambassador’s lecture.

Reference:

Seymur Gurban oglu Mardaliyev was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1979.

In 1996-2000, he studied at the Faculty of International Relations and International Law of Baku State University, upon completion of which he received the Bachelor’s degree, and in 2002 – the Master’s degree (diplomas with honours). He worked at various diplomatic positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Before his appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Ukraine in 2023, he worked as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva. He speaks English, Russian, French, and Turkish.