BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Azerbaijan is making a significant contribution to the international security with its prompt and adequate reaction to any challenge both on global and regional scale, member of Azerbaijani parliament Sevil Mikayilova told Trend.
The MP pointed out that Azerbaijan plays an important role in ensuring regional security and has been recognized by the international community as a reliable partner.
In this regard, the MP emphasized the recently held summit of the Turkic Council on the initiative of Azerbaijani President, Chairman of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking states Ilham Aliyev through videoconference. She noted that Turkic Council was the first international organization to hold a meeting at the level of heads of state dedicated to COVID-19.
Given the great need for experience exchange, mutual support and solidarity among countries under these conditions, this videoconference is of special importance, she said.
Mikayilova pointed out that the summit held under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was remarkable for the constructive exchange of views on the measures taken by states to protect their citizens’ health, as well as to mitigate and eliminate the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.
The MP went on to add that heads of World Health Organization’s (WHO) member states and the organization’s director general praised the decisive steps taken by Azerbaijan’s president in such a difficult time. “They noted that with its preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus, Azerbaijan sets an example to many countries.”
As for cooperation in the Turkic Council, Mikayilova noted that during the chairmanship in this organization, Azerbaijan has achieved more intensive cooperation and has strengthened solidarity among member states. The country has taken great steps to further strengthen the organization’s international image, she added.
“Reliable transport infrastructure is very important for the economic development and trade turnover of the member states. Thanks to the timely initiatives of Azerbaijan, Turkic-speaking countries haven’t faced any problems in transportation even in the pandemic situation. As a transit and logistics hub between Turkey and Central Asia, Azerbaijan has taken necessary measures for transportation of additional volumes of cargo,” the MP said.
Mikayilova pointed out that despite the negative impact of the pandemic, the volume of cargo transportation transited by Turkic Council states through Azerbaijan’s territory has increased by 40,000 tons in the first three months of 2020, as compared to the same period in 2019. “During this period, the total volume of cargo transportation stood at 180,000 tons.”
The MP believes that the fight against coronavirus became a test for states in confronting various threats.
“Demonstrating solidarity with the international community and maintaining its security, Azerbaijan once again proved the status of a reliable partner and authoritative international actor,” Mikayilova concluded.