Azerbaijani-Iraqi consular consultations in Baku

The first consular consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Iraq took place in Baku on March 1. The delegations of the parties to the negotiations were headed by the heads of the consular departments of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries – Emil Safarov and Ahmed Ali Amin Al-Sadi, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reports.

During the consultations, the current state and prospects for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iraq in the consular sphere, the possibility of signing new bilateral documents and digitalization of consular services were considered, further. The issues of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens of the two countries, strengthening measures in the field of providing consular assistance to convicts, and expanding cooperation in the field of extradition of convicts were discussed.

An agreement was reached to hold regular consultations this year in Baghdad. It should be noted that the Azerbaijani authorities periodically repatriate Azerbaijani citizens from Iraq – children and women who are family members of persons who went to the Middle East to participate in hostilities as part of illegal armed formations. In 2023, in one of the camps in Iraq, about 120 women with children appealed to the Azerbaijani authorities with a request to return them to their homeland.