Marianne de Jong on Dutch FM's visit: We plan to adopt a roadmap through 2028 – Exclusive

A roadmap for cooperation between The Hague and Baku for 2026–2028 will be adopted during Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen's upcoming visit to Azerbaijan on October 26, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Azerbaijan Marianne de Jong told Report in an interview.

According to her, the document will cover a broad range of bilateral cooperation areas, including political and consular affairs, the economy, maritime affairs, logistics, agriculture, water management, scientific research and culture.

The diplomat noted that this would be the first visit by a Dutch foreign minister to Azerbaijan in the past 12 years.

"We are very pleased with this visit, as the minister (of foreign affairs – ed.) is coming to Azerbaijan for the first time in 12 years. The only exceptions have been meetings on the sidelines of multilateral conferences, such as COP, and other international events hosted by Azerbaijan. This visit comes at a time of very positive momentum in bilateral relations. It reflects the progress made towards strengthening engagement and developing high-level contacts. For us, this is an important opportunity to deepen cooperation, advance the bilateral agenda and, of course, support regional stability," the ambassador said.

Commenting on the agenda of the visit, de Jong said Berendsen would meet with Azerbaijani officials, as well as other partners and Dutch companies operating in the country.

"We want to hear first-hand what opportunities they see and discuss how we can further develop cooperation. We are very pleased with the progress made over the past year and the restoration of trust between the Netherlands and Azerbaijan. Our bilateral relations had been going through a rather difficult period for some time, so rebuilding trust was an important task for us," de Jong said.

The full interview will be available on Monday, October 26.