Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 29
By Elena Kosolapova – Trend:
It is necessary to find ways to further enhance and develop relations with Azerbaijan, wrote Edward Lord, a member of the City of London Corporation and deputy chairman of the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS), in his article published by the Prospect magazine.
Over two decades, Azerbaijan has undergone an almost unrecognizable transformation, says the article.
“The list of Azerbaijan’s achievements is astounding: economic growth by a factor of three over just six years, the world’s fastest growing economy and the top reforming country in 2008 according to the World Bank’s “Doing Business Report.” It is also clear that Azerbaijan is spending its wealth more wisely than most countries blessed with such natural resources: a million new jobs in six years, mortality rates amongst the under-fives reduced by nearly 300 percent between 1990 and 2009, and a literacy rate higher than Britain’s,” noted Lord in his article.
Indeed, according to UNICEF statistics, 20 percent of the richest citizens of Azerbaijan own 30 percent of nation’s wealth. In the UK the top 20 percent own 44 percent, says the article.
The author noted that despite criticism from Human Rights Watch, the 2008 presidential elections saw the OSCE declare that the country had “marked considerable progress towards OSCE and Council of Europe commitments.”
“Azerbaijan’s march to progress is not only important for our interest in promoting democracy, but also for British economic interests: having Azerbaijan as a secure and stable energy partner is crucial to our security,” added Lord. “As our own oil and gas reserves under the North Sea dry up and as we strive to diversify our own energy supply towards renewables, we still must secure constant and robust oil and gas supplies from elsewhere in the world.”
British companies have played a critical role in generating the wealth through which Azerbaijan’s recent social advances have been possible, according to the article.
“The more effectively we engage now, the quicker that process of reform proceeds and the more both sides in that bilateral relationship stand to benefit,” added the author.
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