BAKU, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Baku and Bishkek signed a declaration to elevate the bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership, as President Ilham Aliyev hosted his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov on Wednesday.
Sealed by the two presidents, the 26-point declaration dominated a package of 10 documents signed by the two countries during the Kyrgyz leader's official visit to Azerbaijan.
In the declaration, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan affirm each other's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders.
The two countries expressed readiness to continue to develop the political dialogue on all areas of the bilateral cooperation, and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.
Baku and Bishkek affirmed commitment to implementing large and strategically important projects in the fields of energy, industry, infrastructure, green economy, renewable energy sources, organic production and ecotourism.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Aliyev said the declaration would predetermine the character and form of relations between the two countries. "Strategic partnership is a high level of interaction and sets us for cooperation of a strategic nature," he added.
Japarov described the declaration as historic, saying "a new stage in the development of our relations was achieved through the efforts of both sides."
The two presidents also signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of an intergovernmental council, and witnessed the signing of eight other documents on cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan in the fields of agriculture, digital development, air service, intellectual property, finance, public administration and anti-monopoly control. ■
