BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Azerbaijan and the Central Asian countries are forming a new geopolitical and geoeconomic space in Eurasia, with a particular focus on developing ties and transportation connectivity, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said on Friday, on the second day of the CAMCA regional forum in Baku, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
According to him, the decision by Central Asian countries to accept Azerbaijan as a participant in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of the region reflects a new stage of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Central Asia. Azerbaijan’s integration into the Central Asian space represents a form of integration, and Azerbaijan is returning to its roots.
He noted that Azerbaijan and Central Asia together form the broader Caspian region and a new geopolitical and geoeconomic identity for the region.
According to H. Hajiyev, the key areas of cooperation are political relations, the economy, trade, business, and, above all, connectivity. “Azerbaijan, like the countries of Central Asia, is a landlocked region, and we are actively working to establish new connections,” he noted.
The Presidential Aide emphasized that Azerbaijan and the Central Asian countries are striving to transform the transportation and communications landscape of Eurasia.
H. Hajiyev noted that for Azerbaijan and Central Asia, connectivity is not limited to the transportation of goods but also has geopolitical significance.
According to him, Azerbaijan and the Central Asian countries, located at the heart of the Eurasian continent, are forging new links between the East and the West. “At the very heart of the broader Eurasian continent, Azerbaijan and Central Asia are forging new connections, stretching from China to the West and in the opposite direction — from East to West,” H. Hajiyev said.
He also highlighted the region’s young demographics and strategic resources, including energy resources and critical minerals, as factors determining the region’s significance.
Hajiyev added that the Organization of Turkic States also plays an important role in this context, noting the complementary nature of the two formats of cooperation.
