BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7. Holding the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Azerbaijan's Khankendi has an important symbolic and strategic significance in the context of the changing geopolitical balance in the Caucasus, political analyst Nurbolat Nyshinbayev (Kazakhstan) told Trend.
"The choice of Khankendi as a venue for the ECO summit is a signal to external players about the growing role of Azerbaijan as a regional center for economic cooperation," he noted.
Nyshinbayev emphasized that the summit in Khankendi is not just a feather in the cap for economic growth, but also a bold geopolitical move aimed at shaking up the regional order and putting sustainable development front and center under Azerbaijan's watchful eye.
The analyst also addressed the subject of Kazakhstan's collaborative engagement within the Economic Cooperation Organization.
"Kazakhstan's deepening cooperation within the ECO opens up a number of strategically important economic and political opportunities. The country gains access to expanded markets in South Asia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus and can also more actively use transit routes through Iran and Türkiye, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor. This contributes to the diversification of foreign trade and a reduction in dependence on traditional destinations such as Russia and China," Nyshinbayev explained.
According to the analyst, getting in on the ECO energy and infrastructure projects gives Kazakhstan's export potential a real shot in the arm in the oil, gas, and logistics sectors.
"Politically, the ECO provides a platform for balancing a multi-vector foreign policy, strengthening ties with Islamic and Turkic countries, and increasing Kazakhstan's regional influence. In addition, cooperation within the ECO provides an opportunity to promote our own initiatives in the international arena and strengthen our diplomatic presence in Central and South Asia. Taken together, this strengthens both the country's economic stability and foreign policy autonomy," he concluded.
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