Two boys play near the old oil field in Baku, Azerbaihan. © Yola Monakhov (Panos)
Azerbaijan gained independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is an oil-rich country and investment in the oil industry has fuelled a steady level of growth over recent years. Azerbaijan is now rated a middle-income country. However, high levels of poverty persist.
DFID in Azerbaijan
DFID's bilateral programme in Azerbaijan ended in 2002 but we remain involved through our support for the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). For more information on the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative please see the EITI site.
Through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool Strategy (GCPP), we are also supporting work with the Consortium Initiative (CI) to help underpin the Nagorno-karabakh conflict resolution process.
In June 2004 the European Council of Ministers endorsed the inclusion of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The ENP Action Plan sets out the priorities for political, social and economic reform as the basis for closer integration with the European Union (EU).
DFID fully supports the inclusion of Azerbaijan in the ENP and will work with the European Commission to enhance EU engagement.
Total UK aid received (2008/09): £1m (Source: Statistics for International Development 2009)