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The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Moktar Sissoko Embaló, arrived in Azerbaijan on February 27, marking yet another milestone in Azerbaijan’s deepening engagement with Africa. As Baku intensifies its diplomatic and economic outreach across the continent, this visit signals a broader shift—one where Azerbaijan positions itself as a key player in Africa’s energy, security, and development sectors.

It's puzzling to consider how a distant African country could be of interest to Azerbaijan, particularly given that it ranks among the five poorest countries in the world. Although there are many questions surrounding this situation, it's evident that such visits should never be regarded as routine.

This visit is particularly significant, as it follows President Embaló’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where discussions centered around rare earth metals—an increasingly critical resource in global geopolitics. Commenting on that meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted Russian companies' interest in joint mining projects, underscoring the growing importance of this sector.

The timing is notable. Just before the visit of Guinea-Bissau’s president to Moscow, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on Azerbaijan’s accession to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a UN-approved initiative aimed at preventing conflict diamonds from financing armed groups in West Africa. Details of rare earth minerals in Guinea-Bissau are limited to small-scale production of construction materials, such as clays, granite, limestone, sand, and gravel. The country's prospective minerals include bauxite, diamond, gold, heavy minerals, petroleum, and phosphate rock. Perhaps, the topic likely featured in Baku’s high-level discussions.

Welcoming his counterpart, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the historic nature of the visit and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening ties with Guinea-Bissau.

"This trip is a historic visit. For the first time, the President of Guinea-Bissau is visiting us on an official visit. We have already discussed important issues on our bilateral agenda and agreed to strengthen our efforts to develop partnerships in all areas," President Aliyev stated.

The Azerbaijani leader also underscored the significance of mutual support within international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Indeed the relationship between Azerbaijan and Guinea-Bissau is primarily maintained through international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement. Guinea-Bissau has supported various resolutions concerning Azerbaijan within the OIC. In 2020, Azerbaijan provided Guinea-Bissau with $100,000 in assistance via the World Health Organization as part of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. These facts indicate that Azerbaijan's relations with African countries, which represent a new avenue for cooperation, are expected to develop dynamically in the future and encompass a broader range of areas.

On economic cooperation, the President noted that Azerbaijan would be reviewing investment opportunities in Guinea-Bissau, hinting at potential projects in key sectors. He also highlighted the defense industry as an emerging area of collaboration:

"We also think that there is a good opportunity to cooperate in the areas of defense industry and defense. During the trip, Mr. President will visit one of the military units of Azerbaijan, and there will also be a presentation about the defense industry of Azerbaijan, which may be of interest to our friends."

Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony and one of the world's poorest countries, has been grappling with governance challenges, including issues in its security sector. President Embaló’s visit underscored Baku’s growing role in supporting African nations in this area.

"We are here today to renew our cooperation in many areas, including health, education, the military, and security. We are confident that this visit will not only be an opportunity to meet with you but will also be beneficial for our two countries."

Highlighting their alignment in global affairs, Embaló stressed that Guinea-Bissau and Azerbaijan "share some common ideologies" and "consult on important matters" at the UN and the OIC.

A brief look at Azerbaijan's strategy and relationship with African nations

Since regaining its independence, Azerbaijan has pursued a proactive foreign policy aimed at building strong diplomatic and economic partnerships worldwide, including in Africa. Between 1992 and 2012, Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations with most African countries, laying the groundwork for future collaboration. Today, Azerbaijan sees Africa as an important partner, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, and investment.

Azerbaijan's energy sector is a key part of its relations with Africa, particularly through SOCAR’s partnerships with countries like the Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria. These collaborations involve trading crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Additionally, Azerbaijan is looking to invest in Africa's mining industry, having met with representatives from Congo, Sierra Leone, and others to explore potential cooperation in this resource-rich sector. Similarly, a Memorandum of Understanding on oil and gas cooperation was signed between Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy and Somalia’s Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, on Thursday, further cementing their partnership.

Just to be exact on the figures, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with African countries rose by over 3.8 times in 2024 over the first nine months, reaching more than 335.79 million dollars. Azerbaijani exports to African countries amounted to $253.5 million, showing a 4.57-fold increase, while imports from Africa reached $82.26 million, a 2.5-fold rise.

Guinea-Bissau on the other hand has emerged as one of Azerbaijan’s key partners in West Africa. Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to August 27, 1992.

The relationship has intensified in recent years, with President Embaló’s visit to Baku for COP29 in November 2024, during which he held discussions with President Ilham Aliyev on economic, energy, military, and educational cooperation.

In December 2024, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Communities, Carlos Pinto Pereira, visited Azerbaijan and met with high-ranking officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Health, Education, Defense, and Energy, as well as representatives of “ASAN service” and SOCAR. These discussions led to the establishment of a mechanism for political consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries, further institutionalizing diplomatic engagement.

The back-to-back visits of Guinea-Bissau’s president to Moscow and Baku highlight the shifting geopolitical interests in Africa. With rare earth minerals playing a growing role in global competition, Azerbaijan’s engagement in this space could take on strategic significance. Given Azerbaijan’s expanding role in Africa, its cooperation with Guinea-Bissau could serve as a blueprint for future engagements. With the president's "We are here today to renew our cooperation", quote clearly shows his interest in the relationship between the two countries.

It's important to pay attention to the recent developments between African nations and Azerbaijan—these shifts could have significant implications worth watching closely!