BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 6
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Azerbaijan's influence on the world stage is growing and the country is becoming an important transport and logistics hub between Europe and Asia, Azerbaijani MP Afet Hasanova told Trend.
“The opinions voiced during the telephone conversation between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, as well as during the conversation between President Aliyev and President of the European Council Charles Michel, demonstrate the importance attached to the country in the international arena, recognition of the leadership of Azerbaijan in the region and its importance in the world politics,” the MP said.
"The historic victory of Azerbaijan in the 44-day Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh war has opened up new opportunities for our country,” Hasanova said.
“The world powers accept this victory of Azerbaijan, the new realities in the region and are interested in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan within these realities,” the MP said.
“The success gained by Azerbaijan on the battlefield during the second Karabakh war is observed in the political and diplomatic spheres,” Hasanova said.
“In particular, the phone talks between Charles Michel and president of Azerbaijan during the visit of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Brussels is a factor confirming the leadership of our country in the South Caucasus," Hasanova said.
The MP stressed that Azerbaijan will continue to strengthen its positions in the international arena.
"The transformation of Azerbaijan into an important transport and logistics center between China with a trade turnover of $500 billion and the EU is of tremendous importance both from the point of view of the development of relations between our country and the two global centers of power and in terms of strengthening the position of our country in the world arena,” Hasanova said.
“Azerbaijan, as one of the first countries which supported the Belt and Road Initiative, is making a great contribution to the implementation of this initiative by its large-scale transport and infrastructure projects,” the MP said.
“The implementation of such projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, the Baku International Sea Trade Port and now the formation of the Eurasian Transport Corridor and Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (East-West) by new Zangezur corridor at the initiative of our country will create a short and convenient alternative route for the transportation of goods from China to the West serving the interests of all countries in the region, as well as the development of their economic ties,” the MP said.
“All this not only will strengthen the political positions of Azerbaijan, but also make an important contribution to our economic development," Hasanova said.