On November 13, Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
The President of Rwanda thanked Azerbaijan for the invitation to COP29, praising excellent organization and hospitality of the event. He also noted that President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the opening of the COP29 Leaders' Summit was comprehensive and meaningful.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to President Kagame for attending COP29. He mentioned that since taking on the COP presidency, Azerbaijan has faced unfair and unjust attacks including various campaigns in the international media, which he described as unacceptable. President Ilham Aliyev stressed that there seems to be a misconception that developing countries are the polluters of the world.
The President of Rwanda also discussed cooperation with Azerbaijan under the framework of the Commonwealth. The Azerbaijani leader highlighted Azerbaijan's financial assistance to small island states through the Commonwealth and the use of Azerbaijan's satellite capabilities to prepare a database on the challenges those countries face due to climate change, reaffirming Azerbaijan's commitment to practical and beneficial cooperation.
During the meeting, bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Rwanda were discussed.
President Kagame expressed interest in Azerbaijan's "ASAN Khidmet" model. Both leaders discussed cooperation related to its potential implementation in Rwanda. President Ilham Aliyev provided details about ASAN and DOST services, emphasizing their positive reception by citizens.
The discussion also covered economic, trade, investment cooperation, and expanding people-to-people contacts. A joint working group was agreed upon to enhance cooperation in these areas.
President Kagame expressed Rwanda's intention to further strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan.
He invited President Ilham Aliyev for an official visit to Rwanda, while the Azerbaijani leader extended an invitation to his Rwandan counterpart to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan.
