BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 10. Azerbaijan has managed to build a balanced policy with its neighbors based on cooperation and respect, former UN Resident Coordinator Francis Martin O'Donnell told Trend on the sidelines of the Global Baku Forum.
According to the diplomat, the role of the political leadership of Azerbaijan in building a competent system of geostrategic relations was the key to the country's development.
He added that Azerbaijan's position on energy cooperation, climate protection, and energy transformation, as well as on political issues, contributed to the establishment of trusting relations with other countries. As an example of such a policy, O'Donnell pointed to the success of the Global Baku Forum.
He noted that the fact that Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East provides a unique chance to look at a wide range of problems due to an understanding of the cultural features of different regions. He noted that this is another reason for strengthening Azerbaijan's cooperation with neighboring countries.
Organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, under the patronage of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the X Global Baku Forum kicked off on March 9. The forum’s topic this year is "The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes".
The Forum is attended by high-ranking guests from dozens of countries, among them current and former heads of states and governments, prominent public and political figures, leading foreign experts, the leadership of the World Health Organization, the League of Arab States, and other major international organizations.