Beijing, August 31, AZERTAC

“Azerbaijan acts as an active dialogue partner within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) striving hard to expand its diplomatic and economic ties across all its member countries,” Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, President of the Center for Knowledge and Public Policy Pakistan, told AZERTAC.

According to him, President Ilham Aliyev regularly attends SCO annual summits to engage directly with member states.

“President Ilham Aliyev’s active participation in the organization’s summits in recent years and the signing of a strategic partnership declaration with China within this platform projects the significance of this collaboration. The Joint Declaration on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, signed in Beijing marks a new phase in Azerbaijan-China relations while also boosting cooperation with the SCO. Thus, Baku is moving in right direction of further integration, productivity and participation with the SCO member countries,” the expert noted.

Analytically, he said, Azerbaijan uses its unique geographic location to promote the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, linking trade connections between China and Europe, which would also be useful for the SCO in the days to come.

“Comparative studies confirm that Azerbaijan collaborates with SCO nations on sustainable energy security, green technology, and traditional fossil fuel supplies and markets. Frankly speaking, the SCO enables countries to leverage their diverse strengths such as fossil fuel reserves, renewable energy potential, infrastructure, and technological capabilities creating a favorable environment for multilateral energy cooperation and a just energy transition, which would be further diversified, matured, developed and expanded after the inclusion of Azerbaijan in the SCO,” the Pakistani expert emphasized.

“Surely, Azerbaijan’s “green energy” projects with SCO member states, including joint initiatives with China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan would be value addition for the member countries, regional countries and beyond,” he underscored.

“Baku emphasized the significance of projects such as the North-South and East-West transport corridors, underscoring their integration into SCO cooperation efforts.

Critical analysis upholds that Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the SCO members will further enhance its active involvement in the organisation as well as conducting mutual dialogue. The government of Azerbaijan emphasized its commitment to working with the SCO on security matters and important infrastructure projects such as the East-West and North-South transport corridors,” the expert mentioned.

“Finally, Azerbaijan's prospective membership in the SCO would open up new opportunities for cooperation in such areas as strengthening regional security and stability, cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, telecommunications, and agriculture, as well as the promotion of direct contacts between small and medium-sized businesses, interaction on legal and customs issues, etc,” Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan noted.

“The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is a part of the Middle Corridor, was built at the expense of Azerbaijan's investments and has a great role in the SCO's further drive for regional connectivity.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan has a unique role in the growing trade and transit cargo transportation within the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) or Middle Corridor and its inclusion in the SCO would be giant step for all the countries.

Azerbaijan is a key transit hub, it is significant for the SCO member states to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan. It is investing billions of dollars in qualitative infrastructure development projects, including modern highways, expansion of port infrastructure, and modernization of railway lines, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route. It is also independently creating the promising Zangezur route, a new value addition to the Middle Corridor and after its inclusion in the SCO would be supportive for the construction of the Zangezur corridor.

Azerbaijan’s role in the SCO economy, connectivity, productive channels and expansion would be significant in the transit of container block trains and significantly reduce time.

Last but not least, Azerbaijan supports joint regional efforts within the SCO framework to fight terrorism, separatism, and extremism,” the expert concluded.

Source: azertag.az