BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27. Cargo transit through Azerbaijan will swiftly progress, said Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmedov at the 7th International "Issyk-Kul 2023" Economic Forum, which was held in the city of Cholpon-Ata of the Kyrgyz Republic, Trend reports via the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
The delegation of Azerbaijan led by Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Ahmedov in the forum was welcomed by the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov.
During the meeting, Ahmedov emphasized that Azerbaijan is not only on a strategic path to ensure regional and global collaboration, peace, and dialogue, but also that, being at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it participates in a variety of initiatives and projects with regional partners aimed at boosting transportation connectivity and enhancing regional and continental trade. In addition, Azerbaijan is an important link in a number of projects, such as the international North-South and East-West transport corridors, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and many other projects.
"We are seeing an annual increase in cargo transportation through Azerbaijan's territory on various routes." The increase would reach 75% by the end of 2022. "We anticipate a rapid increase in cargo transportation through our country's territory," Ahmedov added.
Participants at the forum were briefed about the current work to extend the capacity of the Baku International Sea Trade Port as well as the development of the Lachin Airport, which will become Azerbaijan's ninth international airport and the third in the freed areas.
All of these initiatives contribute to a significant increase in Azerbaijan's transit potential, which will effectively address the problem of increasing traffic volumes while also ensuring the smooth operation of international transport routes.
It was observed that Azerbaijan's strategy for rebuilding the Great Silk Road and developing the Middle Corridor is extremely consistent with China's concept for implementing the "One Belt, One Road" project. Azerbaijan was among the first countries to embrace the Chinese effort.
The deputy prime minister also emphasized Azerbaijan's critical role in securing Europe's energy security. In this perspective, the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the Caspian area to Europe, makes an important contribution to the global energy security system.
Ahmedov said that Azerbaijan has significant potential for the development of alternative energy, and President Ilham Aliyev has set the task for the government to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy system to 30 percent by 2030. A number of major projects are already being implemented in this direction with the world's leading companies.
The Azerbaijani PM also congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its success in the field of socio-economic development. It was noted that important state programs are being effectively implemented in Kyrgyzstan, the welfare of the people is improving, and the investment attractiveness of the country is growing.