(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 7. A new world order is
being formed right now. The fighting in Ukraine has destroyed the
traditional economy of Eurasia - and this is a time for both new
challenges and new opportunities. Will it be possible to save the
world economy from the consequences of the ongoing war, and what
will be the role of Azerbaijan in the new economy of the
continent?
Various meetings, negotiations and events are
regularly held in Europe, where politicians and experts are trying
to find a way out of the current situation.
The world's largest industry organization, the
International Transport Forum (ITF), in its forecasts for 2023
notes that the collapse of traditional logistics in Eurasia can
already be called one of the most severe long-term consequences of
the war in Ukraine. ITF believes that not only European countries,
but the whole world should join forces to establish alternative
corridors, because the entire world economy is under threat.
This idea is especially actively promoted by the UK,
which historically managed to become one of the world leaders
thanks to its control over global trade routes. trend managed to talk with
the UK Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper, at the ITF
meeting.
"Well, one of the things that came out at the meeting today,
tackling these issues, what's right that we do with the attack on
Ukraine by Russia is exactly because of the massive impact of the
war on transport infrastructure across the world, including in the
Caspian area," he said.
The damage to the global transport infrastructure is really
huge, so much so that no one even tries to calculate it. A huge
flow of goods from East to West, from North to South and back
traditionally, for more than a century, went through the territory
of Russia (also through the territory of Ukraine). War and
sanctions actually buried this route.
According to Harper, this is precisely the situation that
experts in the field of global logistics are trying to figure
out.
"So actually the whole point of the ITF is about having the
countries work together, collaboratively to try and rebuild the
infrastructure to help support both regional and global economies,"
he said.
Under the restoration of infrastructure, there are two most
important areas at once. Firstly, of course, this is a huge amount
of work to be done in Ukraine after the end of hostilities - after
all, this country acts as a transit point not only for the Russian
Federation. Before the start of the war, Ukrainian ports were among
the largest on the Black Sea. Secondly, the restoration of
infrastructure is one of the most important aspects for almost all
countries that are on the so-called Middle Corridor, one of the
most important transport routes of recent times.
Middle Corridor leads from China to the countries of Central
Asia, and then through the Caspian region to Europe. Moreover, for
obvious reasons, the only real route of this corridor passes
through Azerbaijan. Carrying cargo from Central Asia around the
Caspian Sea is a dubious pleasure, because it will have to be done
either through Russia or through Iran.
Thus, it is Azerbaijan that has now become the key country
through which most of the cargo that was previously sent through
Russia via land routes will have to go.
Harper agrees that the Middle Corridor has great potential and
adds that it is a "global issue".
"Infrastructure has massively grown for global economy. And this
is in line with our efforts: we are focused on developing
connectivity and infrastructure globally," he said.
Infrastructure is a key challenge for the Caspian countries.
Azerbaijan, thanks to the policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev,
thought about the need to increase its transit potential many years
ago. The customs infrastructure was modernized, ports and
shipbuilding enterprises were built, the entire railway network and
highways were renovated and reconstructed, both in the direction of
Georgia and in the direction of Russia and Iran.
Against this background, the similar infrastructure of other
Caspian countries is in a much less developed state. As a result,
when the war in Ukraine put Eurasia in the face of a transit
catastrophe, Azerbaijan was not only ready for a new challenge, but
was already actively promoting its projects, which are now saving
the situation - of course, we are talking about the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and about Southern Gas Corridor and many other
initiatives of our country.
The strategy of President Ilham Aliyev to expand the transit
potential of Azerbaijan was ahead of its time, becoming more
relevant today than ever: suffice it to say that over the past
year, the volume of cargo transshipment through Azerbaijan has
tripled.
Transport corridors have turned into a separate kind
of valuable resource, like oil or gas. As in ancient times,
countries at the crossroads of trade routes have received fantastic
opportunities for development today, because the search for new
transit routes has become one of the most important issues for both
Europe and Asia.
Various meetings and conferences are regularly held
where logistics specialists, experts and political leaders are
trying to draw a new logistics map of Eurasia. In this sense,
Azerbaijan is one of those countries that are not just lucky with
the geography where the North-South and East-West corridors
intersect. Thanks to the efforts of President Ilham Aliyev,
Azerbaijan was able to assess its own potential earlier than many
and be ready for this new geopolitical reality.