Diplomatic Bridges Built In Doha And Baku Meetings

On November 30, 2025, two significant diplomatic meetings unfolded in different corners of the world, each aiming to deepen ties and foster cooperation across borders. In Doha, a high-level delegation from the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, led by Ambassador Mohamed Saleh Al-Ajiri, visited the Qatari Diplomatic Institute (QDI) to explore new avenues for diplomatic training and capacity-building. Meanwhile, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Chairman Fuad Muradov of the Azerbaijan State Committee for Work with the Diaspora met with Hungary's Ambassador Tamás József Torma, marking another step forward in Azerbaijan-Hungary relations and broader Turkic cooperation.

According to QNA, the visit to the Qatari Diplomatic Institute by the Arab League delegation was more than a formal courtesy call. Ambassador Mohamed Saleh Al-Ajiri, who serves as the Assistant Secretary-General for Administrative and Financial Affairs, led his team through a comprehensive tour of the Institute's facilities. The QDI Director, Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Mohamed Al-Horr, personally briefed the delegation, offering insight into the Institute's operational mechanisms, services, and a wide range of activities designed to nurture the next generation of diplomats in the region.

Discussions between the two sides delved into practical ways for the Arab League to tap into the QDI’s resources. The focus was clear: how could the League benefit from QDI’s expertise to bolster the skills and effectiveness of Arab diplomats? With diplomatic training increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of effective international relations—especially in a region marked by rapid change and complex challenges—the timing of this meeting couldn’t have been better. As reported by QNA, the visit concluded on a forward-looking note, with both sides proposing to develop a specific framework for exchanging expertise in diplomatic training. This, they agreed, would serve as a foundation for boosting capacity-building not just in Qatar, but across the entire Arab world.

“There is a joint commitment to boosting capacity-building across the Arab world,” a QDI official noted, highlighting the sense of urgency and shared purpose that characterized the meeting. While the details of the new framework remain to be hammered out, both parties left the table with a sense of optimism, confident that closer collaboration would pay dividends for years to come.

Thousands of kilometers away in Baku, another diplomatic story was unfolding with its own unique flavor. As reported by Azernews, Fuad Muradov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Committee for Work with the Diaspora, welcomed Tamás József Torma, Hungary's Ambassador to Azerbaijan. The meeting came at a pivotal moment, with Hungary set to host the upcoming meeting of heads of diaspora institutions of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)—a gathering that promises to deepen ties among Turkic-speaking nations.

Muradov spoke at length about Azerbaijan’s successful diaspora policy under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He outlined the many projects that have helped make the Azerbaijani diaspora a strong actor on the global stage, including Azerbaijan Houses abroad, weekend schools, and Coordination Councils. These initiatives, Muradov emphasized, serve not only to preserve Azerbaijani culture and language abroad, but also to strengthen connections between Azerbaijan and its global community.

The significance of Hungary’s role as host for the OTS diaspora meeting was not lost on either side. Muradov stressed that the event would “contribute to deepening relations among participating countries and creating new formats of cooperation.” For Hungary, which has consistently supported Azerbaijan’s legitimate positions on the international stage, the meeting represented another opportunity to solidify its ties with both Azerbaijan and the broader Turkic world.

Ambassador Torma, for his part, was effusive in his praise for the growing cultural ties between the two countries. He spoke about the importance of expanding cooperation in a variety of fields, including diaspora activities, and expressed hope that these efforts would only continue to grow stronger. Torma also shared detailed information about Hungarian communities abroad, underscoring Hungary’s own commitment to supporting its diaspora.

The meeting wasn’t all business, though. In a gesture that brought a personal touch to the proceedings, Torma expressed his affection for the Azerbaijani language and his desire to learn it. In recognition of this, he was presented with two books—"Azerbaijani Language" and "A Grammar of Contemporary Azerbaijani"—published with the support of the Azerbaijan State Committee for Work with the Diaspora. These resources, designed for foreigners wishing to learn the language, highlighted the cultural bridge-building that forms the backbone of effective diplomacy.

Discussions between Muradov and Torma also covered a range of practical topics. The two sides explored ways to strengthen ties between Azerbaijani and Hungarian diaspora organizations, promote cultural and humanitarian projects, and increase exchange programs for youth. The importance of joint projects and collaborative initiatives was a recurring theme, with both parties agreeing that such efforts would help foster greater understanding and solidarity between their peoples.

Another point of pride for Azerbaijan was the recent visits by participants in the "II INTERNSHIP" program, which brings officials from diaspora institutions of OTS member and observer countries to Azerbaijan, including to the historically significant region of Karabakh. These visits, Muradov noted, play a critical role in deepening ties and sharing best practices across the Turkic world.

The meeting concluded on a hopeful note, with both sides exchanging views on the prospects for future cooperation. As Azernews reported, there was a clear sense that the groundwork had been laid for even closer collaboration in the months and years ahead.

Taking a step back, these two diplomatic encounters—one in Doha, the other in Baku—underscore a broader trend in international relations: the growing importance of capacity-building, cultural exchange, and diaspora engagement as drivers of foreign policy. Whether it’s the Arab League looking to harness Qatar’s expertise in diplomatic training, or Azerbaijan and Hungary forging new links through diaspora and cultural projects, the message is clear. Diplomacy today is as much about building bridges between peoples as it is about formal agreements between states.

As the world becomes ever more interconnected, such efforts are likely to become even more critical. For now, the outcomes of these meetings offer a glimpse into a future where cooperation, mutual understanding, and shared expertise are the order of the day.