TURKMENBASHI, Turkmenistan, October 8. Last year, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with the countries of Central Asia grew by more than 50 percent, President Ilham Aliyev said as he addressed the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Central Asia in Turkmenbashi, Trend's special correspondent reports.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
- Esteemed Serdar Gurbangulyevich,
Distinguished heads of state,
Dear friends,
First of all, I express my gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan for the invitation and traditional hospitality.
I am glad to be back in brotherly Turkmenistan, in beautiful Awaza.
In November last year, Azerbaijan became a full-fledged participant in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. Once again, I express my gratitude to all my respected colleagues for their unanimous support for this historic decision. In this regard, I would like to note the role played by Turkmenistan and, personally, by the respected Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov. It was right here, in Awaza, in August last year, that he initiated Azerbaijan's full participation in this format.
Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan relations have been developing dynamically in recent years. Since last year, five high-level visits have already taken place. This reflects the intensity of our political dialogue and the mutual desire to further strengthen bilateral ties.
I would particularly like to highlight the construction of a mosque in the city of Fuzuli, initiated by the respected Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov. Last year, we jointly participated in laying its foundation. This gift from brotherly Turkmenistan to our country is yet another testament to the friendship and spiritual closeness of our peoples.
Brotherly support in the restoration of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan holds special significance for us. In Fuzuli, a school named after Mirzo Ulugbek has already been built by Uzbekistan, and the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center has been built by Kazakhstan; in Aghdam, a school named after Manas has been built by Kyrgyzstan. We highly value this assistance.
Azerbaijan's interaction with the countries of Central Asia has expanded significantly in recent years. Political ties are at a high level, and mutual high-level visits have become regular. Trade and economic cooperation are growing stronger, mutual investments are increasing, and joint projects are being implemented. Last year, Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Central Asian countries grew by more than 50 percent. Today, over 400 companies with capital originating from Central Asian countries actively operate in our country. In recent years, Azerbaijan has established joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The capital of each of these funds amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. I believe their potential should be utilized more actively, primarily for the implementation of joint projects, the creation of new manufacturing facilities, and the expansion of industrial cooperation. We must not only increase mutual trade; it is important to jointly invest, produce, and enter external markets.
Transport is one of the primary areas of our cooperation. The Caspian Sea plays an increasingly vital role today in the transport connectivity of our countries. The transport infrastructure on both shores of the Caspian is of key importance for connecting Central Asia with Azerbaijan and further onward to international markets. In recent years, we have consistently increased our transport capabilities. We have made major investments in transport infrastructure, developing seaports, airports, railways, and highways. Today, we are observing significant growth in cargo transit volumes across the Caspian. Our common task is to make these routes more efficient and competitive. In parallel, the Digital Silk Way project is being implemented, and work is underway to lay fiber-optic lines along the bed of the Caspian Sea. The Middle Corridor is acquiring ever greater significance; last year, the volume of transit cargo along this route grew by more than 10 percent, and in the first eight months of the current year, by almost another 20 percent.
The energy sector holds a special place in our cooperation. Azerbaijan plays an important role in the transit of energy resources from Central Asia to international markets. Oil from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is transported through the territory of our country, and the volume of these shipments is growing. Our cooperation in renewable energy is consistently expanding. We are working jointly with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to create a green energy corridor.
Dear colleagues,
The geopolitical importance of our cooperation format lies not only in joint projects in the energy and transport sectors. Peace, security, and political and economic stability in our countries form the foundation of all our successes and serve as a guarantee for the future successful development of the Central Asian states and Azerbaijan, as well as the strengthening of our interaction.
Thank you for your attention.
