The UK and Azerbaijan are working to finalise a strategic partnership framework covering political, economic and defence cooperation, the new British Ambassador to Azerbaijan Duncan Norman said on Friday.
The partnership was announced during a visit by the UK's Europe Minister Stephen Doughty to Azerbaijan in August 2025, and was reaffirmed on Friday by Norman.
Earlier this week, President Ilham Aliyev received Norman’s credentials as the newly appointed UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan on 18 August, 2026.
AnewZ's Orkhan Amashov spoke to Ambassador Duncan Norman about the scope of the strategic partnership and the future of defence ties between the two countries.
Orkhan Amashov, AnewZ: We know that back in August 2025, when the UK's Europe Minister was here, he announced the decision, the aspiration, to upgrade relations to strategic partnership level. And whilst presenting your credentials to President Aliyev a couple of days ago, you said you're working on the new strategic partnership. How will the new strategic partnership that you're working with your Azerbaijani partners be different to the existing one? Could you please explain to us the defence component of that relationship? Because we know that back in March 2025, the UK government sent its first Resident Defence Attaché to its embassy in Azerbaijan embassy. And also, we know that in October 2025, you lifted all arms embargo in relation to Azerbaijan and Armenia after the peace workers' breakthrough.
Duncan Norman, UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan: Just to avoid any confusion, it is the same strategic partnership. It was announced that we were upgrading our relationship to strategic partnership when the minister was here. And what we're doing is working up that document, which covers a wide variety of areas, including the political relationship, the economic relationship, and the defence relationship, and others. And we are working on that with the Azerbaijani government. And once we have that document completed, then that will be signed and come into effect.
Orkhan Amashov, AnewZ: Could you please explain to us the defence component of that relationship? Because we know that back in March 2025, the UK government sent its first Resident Defence Attaché to the Azerbaijan embassy base here. And also, we know that in October 2025, you lifted all arms embargo in relation to Azerbaijan and Armenia after the peace workers' breakthrough. Could you please elaborate on that defence component more specifically?
Duncan Norman, UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan: It's a really important thing, the defence relationship. It's also, of course, very new. And like every new relationship, you have to start small and let it grow, and that's what we're doing. But we're already providing, training opportunities in the UK. We're talking about how we might be able to help with, in the future, with equipment and supplies and those sorts of things in the future. I think it's really exciting, and I think it's something that over the next three to four years will really grow. I see it as one of the growth areas in our relationship during my time here.
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