(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. Azerbaijan's activity
within chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a bright
example of the country's special place in the world, the former US
ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matthew Bryza told Trend .
According to Bryza, Azerbaijan is independent country which is
connected to Trans Atlantic community through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil and South Caucasus gas pipelines, while maintaining balanced
and good relationship with Russia.
“Azerbaijan is also developing relations with Iran. Since
Azerbaijan is a small country that is located between such big
countries such as Russia, Iran and Türkiye, possessing
strategically important natural resources and being the
connectivity between Central Asia and global markets, it's
important for the government of Azerbaijan to maintain balance in
relationship with other countries and to have a multiple directions
in which it can develop its economy and secure its sovereignty and
independence, as well as territorial integrity,” he said.
In this context, the former ambassador expressed hope that
activity of the NAM Parliamentary Network will help Azerbaijan and
all member countries of NAM develop economic ties.
Besides, according to him, such activity can help to solve
issues with supply of commodities like oil and natural gas,
fertilizer and grain produced in Central Asia and in Azerbaijan,
because the world needs them more than ever now to reduce inflation
and avoid potential famine, that could result in supply chain
disruptions.
“Azerbaijan's importance as a transit country is growing as
Baku, Ashgabad and Tegeran plan to transport gas from Turkmenistan
to Europe via Iran through swap arrangements,” Bryza noted.
“According to the arrangements, Turkmen natural gas will be sent
to North- Eastern Iran and enter the pipeline system there. Then
Iranian gas will be sent to Azerbaijan and from there onward to
European markets. All this process needs to be arranged in a geo
strategically neutral way. Non-Aligned Movement's Parliamentary
Network could play its role in maintaining neutrality of this
project,” he added.
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