Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov made his first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, touring sites in Irpin before meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Zelensky’s statement, Bayramov began his trip visiting a school, a hospital, and a rehabilitation center supported by Azerbaijan. He reported the two leaders discussing Russia’s continued strikes on Ukraine, as well as Moscow’s effort to choke Ukraine’s Black Sea grain corridor.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We are very grateful that, in these difficult days for our country and our people, he found the opportunity to come and support us,” Zelensky said. Diplomatic visit to Ukraine following renewed ties with Moscow Bayramov’s trip to Kyiv comes as he recently met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in mid-July, where the two signaled that the turbulence in the countries’ relations is over. Bayramov said that the two countries had managed to leave a “difficult period” behind and “fully normalize” bilateral relations. The move signaled a deepening diplomatic and transportation cooperation, even as Azerbaijani President Illham Aliyev publicly backs Ukraine. In June, Aliyev delivered a message to Ukraine to “never accept occupation.” His remarks came as Azerbaijan has managed to restore its territorial integrity after nearly three decades of conflict with Armenia, traditionally backed by Moscow.