Ambassador: Bilateral ties witnessing steady growth • 32,000 Kuwaitis visited Azerbaijan in 2025
KUWAIT: Bilateral relations between Kuwait and Azerbaijan are witnessing steady growth across tourism, trade, investment and diplomatic cooperation, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov said during celebrations marking the 108th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Independence Day on May 24, 2026. The reception, hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kuwait, was attended by Guest of Honor Hamad Suleiman Mashaan Al-Mashaan, the newly-appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, members of the diplomatic corps, dignitaries and media representatives.
In his address, Ambassador Karimov described relations between the two countries as “brotherly”, underlining the historical foundations of bilateral diplomacy dating back to the 1994 OIC Summit in Casablanca, where Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev met the late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The two leaders later held meetings in Copenhagen and New York in 1995, laying the groundwork for closer cooperation. Karimov said relations entered a new phase following the 2009 official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Kuwait. Since then, bilateral engagement has expanded through frequent high-level exchanges and growing cooperation in political, economic and cultural sectors.
Ambassador Karimov and his wife Tarana Karimova pose for photo with the Embassy officials.
(From left to right), Ambassador Karimov, Hamad Suleiman Mashaan Al-Mashaan and Tarana Karimova.
He also highlighted a series of recent diplomatic visits, including the participation of Kuwaiti delegations in Non-Aligned Movement conferences held in Baku in 2023. He also noted the visit of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to Azerbaijan for the COP29 Leaders’ Summit in 2024, describing it as a milestone in bilateral relations and the first visit to Azerbaijan at the level of Crown Prince from Kuwait. “The meeting between HH the Crown Prince and President Ilham Aliyev opened new avenues for cooperation in various sectors and further strengthened diplomatic ties between the two countries,” Karimov said.
Karimov also referred to the first round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries held in Kuwait on February 13, 2025, as well as the official visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Kuwait in April this year to co-chair the third meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kuwait Joint Commission on Cooperation. Economic and business cooperation has also gained momentum, the envoy said, citing the visit of Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov to Kuwait in October 2025 to participate in the first Azerbaijan-Kuwait Business Forum. Discussions during the visit focused on expanding bilateral trade, investment opportunities and private sector cooperation.
Spurt in tourism
Tourism continues to emerge as one of the strongest pillars of bilateral engagement. Karimov revealed that more than 32,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2025, reflecting the growing popularity of the Caucasus nation among Kuwaiti travelers. He added that Azerbaijan continues to actively promote its tourism sector in Kuwait through roadshows and tourism exhibitions. During the “Roadshow 2025” event organized by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board in Kuwait, Azerbaijani tourism companies showcased the country’s leisure and business tourism opportunities to local travel industry representatives.
“Today we have close and friendly relations, with particularly strong ties in the agriculture, tourism and education sectors. We have great potential in the tourism sector. Last year, more than 32,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan. We are very proud that Kuwaiti people enjoy visiting Azerbaijan,” the ambassador said. Today, direct flights operate between our countries through Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways, with a flight duration of less than two hours.
Karimov said the two countries enjoy particularly close cooperation in agriculture, tourism and education, while emphasizing the untapped potential for increasing trade turnover in sectors such as food industries, light industry and agriculture. Reflecting on Azerbaijan’s historical and geopolitical significance, the ambassador said the country holds a prominent position in the Caucasus region and has evolved into a leading regional power with a rich cultural heritage and rapidly developing economy.
He also referred to Azerbaijan’s restoration of independence on October 18, 1991, and highlighted the country’s modern development under President Ilham Aliyev. Karimov described Azerbaijan as a “victorious state” that regained control over its territories after decades of occupation. Marking the occasion, the ambassador extended Eid Al-Adha greetings to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, wishing peace, prosperity and stability for Kuwait and the wider region.