Baku, April 2nd—Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, met here today with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC). 

Aliyev asked Liu to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping. Aliyev said last year, President Xi Jinping and I jointly upgraded bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, which is a symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Azerbaijan views Azerbaijan-China relations from a strategic perspective. The two countries have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in politics, economy and trade, transportation, renewable energy, and other fields. As an important economy in the Transcaucasus region, Azerbaijan regards China as an important cooperation partner and is willing to expand cooperation with China in investment, infrastructure, high technology, electric vehicles, etc. Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to support and respond to the Belt and Road cooperation. It is currently accelerating the construction of the Middle Corridor and improving infrastructure such as railways, ports, and shipping networks, to better participate in the Belt and Road cooperation. Azerbaijan and China have carried out effective cooperation within the framework of regional and international organizations and firmly safeguarded the common interests of the Global South. Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the friendly and cooperative relations between the New Azerbaijan Party and the CPC, and is willing to further strengthen exchanges with China, enrich the connotation of cooperation between the two Parties, promote exchanges between the parliaments, youth, and friendly personages from all walks of life of the two countries, and jointly promote the development of bilateral relations. 

Liu conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm greetings to President Ilham Aliyev, and said that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Ilham Aliyev, China and Azerbaijan have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields and further enriched its strategic connotation. In July last year, the two heads of state jointly announced the upgrade of bilateral relations to strategic partnership, marking another important milestone in the history of China-Azerbaijan relations. China is willing to work with Azerbaijan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue to firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, further increase the docking of development strategies, promote practical cooperation in various fields, and promote the continuous development of China-Azerbaijan strategic partnership from a new starting point. As two developing countries and members of the Global South, China and Azerbaijan have similar positions on many regional and global issues. China is willing to strengthen coordination with Azerbaijan on multilateral occasions and international organizations, practice true multilateralism, promote world multipolarization and economic globalization, and better safeguard the common interests of developing countries. 

Liu noted, the exchanges between the ruling parties of China and Azerbaijan are an important part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. In November last year, the CPC and the New Azerbaijan Party signed a memorandum of exchange and cooperation, marking a new stage in the friendly relations between the two parties. The CPC is willing to strengthen institutionalized exchanges and political dialogues with the New Azerbaijan Party, strengthen mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, exchange views on issues of common concern such as governance capacity building, relations between the two Parties and the two countries, and the international and regional situations, enhance the docking of development strategies, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and help the development of China-Azerbaijan relations. 

Shahin Abdulla oglu Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan for Foreign Policy, Tahir Budagov, Deputy Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and Head of the Central Office, and others were present.