(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. Improving
cooperation with the countries of Central Asia has been one of the
pillars of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. Within the current
geopolitical landscape, this course has become one of the most
important. Last year has been very dynamic for Azerbaijan's
partnership with Central Asian economies. Thanks to the personal
efforts of President Ilham Aliyev, it can now be said that the
Caspian Sea does not divide the Caucasus and Central Asia, but only
binds these two regions together.
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of
comprehensive relations with Tajikistan. During the last 30 years,
relations between the two countries have been firmly established,
creating a favorable environment for resolving mutually beneficial
issues and for active interaction in the international arena.
Tajikistan and Azerbaijan share centuries-old history and culture,
friendly relations, and common values, and traditions.
The legal basis for bilateral cooperation consists of about 62
agreements regulating various spheres of cooperation. The basis of
the legal framework has been formed following multiple official
visits of the leaders of the two countries. These bilateral
instruments cover various fields – from political, economic,
commercial, investment, industrial, transport, tourism, scientific
and technical, to cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as law
enforcement cooperation.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan just over
the first two months of the current year amounted to $824,590, of
which $3,270 accounted for Tajikistan's exports and $821,320 for
Azerbaijani exports. In 2022, the bilateral trade turnover totaled
$5.8 million. Although the figures are not as high, the parties
have made significant progress in increasing cooperation over
recent years.
As Azerbaijan has become a regional logistics and transportation
hub, all the Central Asian economies are actively benefiting from
the country's transit potential, including Tajikistan. Major
communication projects that Azerbaijan is currently implementing,
especially, in the liberated lands, will open up new opportunities
not only for Central Asia and the Caucasus, but for the wider
region, and this is where Tajikistan should not miss.
Meanwhile, the number of Tajik citizens visiting Azerbaijan in
2022 amounted to 2,736 people, which is 3.3 times higher than in
2021 (820 tourists). However, this figure remains below the
pre-pandemic number (3,450 citizens of Tajikistan visited
Azerbaijan in 2019). Only in January 2023, some 165 people visited
Azerbaijan from Tajikistan, and 177 Tajiks traveled to Baku in
February. So, the number of mutual visits grows, and Tajikistan
even plans to open direct flights with Azerbaijan in May this
year.
The Azerbaijan-Tajikistan Investment Forum, which took place in
the city of Dushanbe, highlighted the rapid growth of economic
relations between the two countries. The purpose of this forum is
to find ways and opportunities for investment in various fields,
such as trade, industry, energy, tourism, transport, logistics,
agriculture, new technologies and export development.
The Investment Forum is attended by business and investment
circles of both countries, numbering more than 200 people from both
sides, including heads and officials of ministries, departments,
entrepreneurs and investors, representatives of companies and
enterprises of various sectors of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan in the
fields of industry, energy, trade, transport, communications,
logistics, nutrition, tourism and other priority areas. Moreover,
within the framework of the Forum, bilateral documents of
cooperation between the business and investment circles of the two
countries were inked.
The countries are already working on multiple economic projects
covering the energy sector, oil, and aluminum industries. There is
no doubt that this major event will boost the already existing
successful partnership between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
Following the example of its neighbors, Kazakhstan, or
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan can take advantage of the unique
opportunities for business development that Azerbaijan offers
today. Azerbaijan, while always expanding its export geography, has
always sought to establish new areas of cooperation and strengthen
existing ties. Strong, long-term ties with Central Asian countries
that already exist, are the result of the farsighted policy of
President Ilham Aliyev. Looking into the future, Azerbaijan has
established strong ties with this region, and now that global
players are changing and previous ways of cooperation are not
acceptable, Azerbaijan, together with its partners, continues to
develop the region for the benefit of all, in parallel cooperation
with Western and Eastern countries.