Russian-Language Media Speaks Of Middle Corridor And Uzbek-Azerbaijan Relations

Azernews presents the article.

The first state visit is always regarded as symbolic. In this regard, the first, after re-election, visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Azerbaijan to meet with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev was no exception. According to the Director of the Center for European and Asian Studies Andrey Rusakov (Russia, Yekaterinburg), one of the main tasks in the current situation for Uzbekistan is to organize sustainable export commodity flows in order to ensure a higher level of development of industrial production. The possibilities of the“Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” (“Middle Corridor”), including through the territory of Azerbaijan, have long been in the mainstream of Uzbekistan's attention. New agreements in the transport sector between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, concluded during the visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev will facilitate the export of Uzbek products to new markets - from the Middle East to Africa. In turn, these agreements will also allow Azerbaijan, through the territory of Uzbekistan, to provide transport opportunities to Central Asia and China. Given the membership of the two countries in the CIS and the staof a free trade zone within this association, the joint use of the "Middle Corridor" by Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan can lead to a further increase in mutual trade of all participants, including Russia:

- For a higher level of economic development and, accordingly, ensuring, as a result of the adopted amendments to the Constitution, the staof a“social state”, Uzbekistan has real limitations in the form of a lack of direct access to seaports. That is why attention to the formation of transport corridors has always been in line with the attention of the political leadership of Uzbekistan. Last year, within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States, the fifth meeting of twin ports was held in Tashkent, where all countries agreed on maximum assistance in the formation of mutual trade flows. One of the most optimal routes to solve this problem is the use of the“Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” (“Middle Corridor”) passing through Azerbaijan. For Uzbekistan, its usage will ensure the delivery of products up to the markets of the Middle East and Africa. An important factor is the use of the possibilities of the "Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor" for Azerbaijan, through the territory of Uzbekistan, with entry to the markets of Central Asia and China. Interaction in the transport sector, apparently, became one of the main topics during Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to Azerbaijan. Moreover, it was the fact of the first state visit of the political leader of Uzbekistan that became symbolic here. It is clear that many other topics of the emerging strategic partnership were also discussed, including economic and humanitarian cooperation. We must pay tribute to the fact that both Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are members of the CIS and, accordingly, enjoy all the possibilities of the association free trade zone. The use of the "Trans-Caspian International Transport Route" in this regard can also become one of the opportunities for Russian enterprises to ensure their export supplies both to China and to the West - to the markets of Turkiye, Africa, and the Middle East. It is also noteworthy that this meeting between Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Ilham Aliyev took place against the backdrop of the BRICS summit, following which the number of its participants increased from five to eleven. The issues of transport interconnectedness and the formation of transport corridors were also discussed in Johannesburg. And it is not excluded that the“Middle Corridor” with participation will take a significant place in the future communications of the modern world. The use of the "Trans-Caspian International Transport Route" in this regard can also become one of the opportunities for Russian enterprises to ensure their export supplies both to China and to the West - to the markets of Turkiye, Africa, and the Middle East.

MENAFN26082023000195011045ID1106960280