Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Afghanistan Ilham Mammadov paid a courtesy call to Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to present the official letter from Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry regarding the opening of their embassy in Kabul, the ministry said in a statement Thursday.

IEA’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a post on X that the meeting focused on the commencement of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, economic cooperation and several other issues.

According to Balkhi, Muttaqi called the opening of the Azerbaijan embassy in Kabul and the appointment of an ambassador an important achievement in bilateral relations between the two countries and a sign of the two countries’ friendship.

Muttaqi also welcomed the Azerbaijani ambassador and assured him of all necessary support to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Kabul.

Touching on a range of bilateral opportunities, he said that the Lapis Lazuli route holds special importance for Afghanistan, adding that with the activation of the corridor, Afghanistan can be connected to Europe.

He said that IEA seeks to upgrade its diplomatic presence at the Afghan Embassy in Baku.

Expressing gratitude for Afghanistan’s support of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Mammadov said that Azerbaijan respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and independence and does not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

He said this is the first time in history that Azerbaijan has opened an embassy in Kabul and commended the achievements of the Afghan government in ensuring security, stability, countering narcotics and economic development.

Mohammadov also said that there was good space for cooperation between the two countries in several domains that could benefit both countries.