Azerbaijan’s integration into the regional cooperation platform of Central Asian leaders marks a new stage in the country’s foreign policy and regional connectivity strategy, senior Azerbaijani official Hikmet Hajiyev said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Tashkent, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department, emphasized that the newly endorsed “Azerbaijan + Central Asia” format will unlock significant opportunities for economic, trade, and transport cooperation across the region.
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“The Zangezur Corridor opens vast prospects for economic, commercial, and transport-logistics cooperation within this new platform,” Hajiyev said.
He expressed deep gratitude to Uzbekistan for supporting Azerbaijan’s accession as a full-fledged member of the Consultative Meetings of Central Asian Heads of State.
“Azerbaijan holds deep affection for Uzbekistan. We are proud of our shared culture and values. The friendship and brotherhood between our nations will only grow stronger,” he noted, praising the leadership of both countries for setting “an exemplary model of partnership.”
“Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is now in the past”
Hajiyev stressed that Azerbaijan’s foreign policy is moving into a new phase following the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity.
“The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is behind us. Azerbaijan is now expanding the horizons of its foreign policy,” he said.
He highlighted Azerbaijan’s “unique geopolitical identity”:
a South Caucasus country,
a Central Asian and Caspian state,
part of the broader Middle East,
and a Black Sea actor.
This, he said, enables Baku to pursue a more active and multidimensional foreign policy, guided by the strategic vision set by President Ilham Aliyev.
Deepening ties with Central Asia
Hajiyev underlined the rapid strengthening of relations between Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia, rooted in common history, culture, and shared values.
“We clearly observe dynamic growth in ties between Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia. Frequent visits by President Ilham Aliyev to the region, reciprocal visits by regional leaders to Azerbaijan, and our cooperation within international organizations all demonstrate how rapidly these relations are expanding,” he said.
He added that the new regional platform will boost economic, cultural, humanitarian, and transport cooperation, positioning Azerbaijan and Central Asian states as a unified geopolitical and geo-economic space with growing global relevance.
