Zelensky Meets Aliyev in Dublin: Drone Deal Contracts Already Signed, Orders to Be Scaled Up
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dublin, Ireland, on November 12, on the sidelines of the ninth European Political Community summit. Zelensky said on social media that it was his first meeting at the summit, that relations between the two countries are developing, and that the two sides discussed priority areas of cooperation, first and foremost drone cooperation.
Zelensky said the focus was the Drone Deal, Ukraine's intergovernmental framework for sharing drone and counter-drone technology with partner countries: contracts have already been signed, and the two sides are working to scale up the orders. Azerbaijan is among the countries that have signed the framework, alongside Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The two leaders also discussed in detail the situation in Ukraine and the challenges facing its energy and transport systems from Russia's continuing attacks. Zelensky thanked Azerbaijan for the assistance already provided and said Ukraine would be grateful if Azerbaijan could find an opportunity to support its critical infrastructure and logistics ahead of winter, adding that the two teams had been instructed to work on it. The presence of Azerbaijani businesses still operating in Ukraine despite the war was also discussed.
The Azerbaijani presidency's official readout made no mention of drones, defense or military cooperation, focusing instead on economic and trade relations, exchanges of delegations, and Zelensky's gratitude for electrical equipment supplied by Azerbaijan. The two presidents met in Gabala, Azerbaijan, in April this year and signed six documents, including arrangements on joint defense production; Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov visited Kyiv in August, the first such visit by an Azerbaijani foreign minister since 2022, and also discussed defense cooperation and gas supplies.
(Source: Ukrinform)
Source: Ukrinform
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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