Governor Stitt Advocates for Expanded Oklahoma Partnership in Meeting with Azerbaijani President

Photo caption (from left to right): Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov, Chief of Staff Bond Payne, Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Governor Kevin Stitt, President Ilham Aliyev, Ambassador Earle Litzenberger, U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce Co-Chair Reza Vaziri, Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson, Brig. Gen. Jon Harrison, Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim

BAKU, Azerbaijan (July 27, 2021) – Governor Kevin Stitt advocated for the expansion of Oklahoma’s partnership with Azerbaijan during a meeting today with President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku.

The governor was accompanied to the meeting by U.S. Ambassador Earle Litzenberger, Chief of Staff Bond Payne, Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson, the Adjutant General of the Oklahoma National Guard, and Brig. Gen. Jon Harrison, Director of Joint Staff.

“It was an honor to meet President Aliyev and hear from him about ways Oklahoma can continue to work with the people of Azerbaijan,” said Gov. Stitt. “Oklahoma and Azerbaijan are both energy pioneers and I look forward to strengthening our partnership and connecting Oklahoma companies with the many economic development opportunities here in Azerbaijan.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Gov. Stitt presented President Aliyev with a Will Rogers statue on behalf of the state of Oklahoma and personally gifted him a custom cowboy hat from Shorty’s Caboy Hattery in Oklahoma City.

The governor also had productive meetings with Azerbaijan Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and Minster of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov to continue to strengthen the partnership between Oklahoma and Azerbaijan in the areas of agriculture, energy, education and security.

This evening, the governor will be the guest of honor at a reception held by Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov.

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