Lord Vernon Coaker, UK minister of state for defence, paid an official visit to Azerbaijan on December 4, 2025. During the visit, the minister held a number of meetings to discuss the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the UK, a key element of which will be defence.
In an exclusive interview with Report, Lord Coaker discussed the current state of bilateral defence relations, noting the high level of interaction and mutual trust between the countries. He highlighted priority areas of cooperation, including professional military training, joint training programmes, exchange of experience, and defence industry development.
- How would you characterize the current level of military cooperation between our countries in light of the UK's decision to lift the arms embargo on Azerbaijan in October 2025?
- Defense cooperation between the UK and Azerbaijan is truly strong and dynamic. Our relationship is very strong, and we actively collaborate across a wide range of areas.
In particular, the military training program is ongoing, with Azerbaijani military personnel training alongside British ones. We also provide English language training for Azerbaijani soldiers, and this cooperation is developing successfully. Some of our military personnel also visit (Azerbaijan - ed.) and assist with the training.
I also attended a graduation ceremony where young Azerbaijani military personnel completed their military training and received their diplomas. It was a wonderful and truly important moment. (As part of the visit, the British delegation, led by the minister of state, took part in a ceremony marking the latest graduation of the Instructor Training Course for young officers - ed.).
Speaking of positive dynamics, I'd like to note that in March of this year, we appointed the UK's first resident defense attaché to Azerbaijan (Gavin Tarbard - ed.). And in October 2025, in London, we signed our most ambitious bilateral defense cooperation program to date with Azerbaijan – a clear confirmation that our relations are moving in the right direction.
During my visit to Azerbaijan, I met with President Ilham Aliyev. The meeting was productive and positive: we discussed key areas of cooperation in the defense sector, and these are fully reflected in the new, more ambitious cooperation program I mentioned earlier.
- During your visit to Azerbaijan, you held a number of bilateral meetings. How do you see the future opportunities for defense cooperation between London and Baku?
- There are several truly important examples that illustrate the positive changes in our cooperation. First of all, what we have already mentioned: the lifting of the arms embargo on Azerbaijan. This opens up opportunities for cooperation in the defense industry. We can now discuss areas where we can work together, what technologies or equipment Azerbaijan could supply to the UK, and what types of defense systems the UK could offer Azerbaijan in line with your country's needs.
At our meetings, we also discussed issues related to the Caspian Sea, including the protection of key national infrastructure. Developing maritime capabilities creates additional opportunities for our joint cooperation.
A fundamentally important point is that we are talking about a partnership on equal terms, cooperation between countries that support each other and strive for shared security. We are fully prepared for such interaction and believe it will benefit both countries and the region (the South Caucasus - ed.) as a whole.
- What concrete steps are being taken today to achieve Strategic Partnership? Are new initiatives, agreements, or high-level negotiation formats being discussed that could transform this vision into practical and tangible cooperation?
- I believe the attention that President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Keir Starmer are devoting to bilateral relations reflects our shared desire to move to a strategic partnership format as soon as possible. Defense plays a key role in this and is an integral part of this process. This is why we are exploring opportunities to expand professional training programs, educational initiatives, and English language training.
We are also engaged in dialogue about the cyber threats facing both our countries and discussing what additional measures we can take together, including maritime cooperation.
We also see significant progress, including with the expected [signing] peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is a very important step, contributing to strengthening stability in the region.
All of these actions are undoubtedly positive. President Ilham Aliyev should be congratulated on his work, and we look forward to further developing cooperation with Azerbaijan. We have common challenges and common threats, and we must be confident that we will address them together – for the sake of stability not only in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus, but also in the entire region. And we will do so.
- Do you believe that cooperation similar to that developing between Azerbaijan and the UK can contribute to strengthening peace not only in our region but also beyond?
- Azerbaijan is an important country capable of providing significant assistance and support in addressing the challenges facing not only the South Caucasus but also the wider region. We intend to continue to support Azerbaijan in the interests of strengthening regional stability.