(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Nazrin Abdul
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One of Azerbaijan's primary foreign policy priorities is to
strengthen relations with Turkic states. These relationships are
rooted in shared ethnic and cultural heritage, language, historical
ties, and mutual national values, forming a solid foundation for
productive cooperation.
In line with expanding these relations, an unofficial summit of
the Organization of Turkic States was convened in Shusha on July 6,
culminating in the signing of the Garabagh Declaration. Emphasizing
the development of stable and diversified ties among Turkic states,
the declaration underscores the importance of fully utilizing their
potential across political, economic, transport, defense,
humanitarian, educational, and cultural domains.
In his comment to Azernews on the issue,
British expert Neil Watson highlighted the critical role of
cooperation among OTS members in constructing and optimizing the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle
Corridor:
"Collaboration among OTS members plays an integral role in the
construction, successful operation, and efficiency of the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle
Corridor - with Azerbaijan as the main catalyst. This route
originates from Southeast Asia and China, traversing Kazakhstan,
the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and extending further into
European countries. Collaboration among OTS countries is essential
to realize this initiative, underscored by its significance to
Europe, notably amidst the Russia and Ukraine conflicts. This
importance was recently highlighted at a high-level conference at
Arundel House in London, organized by the Caspian Policy Centre.
The conference was attended by ambassadors, diplomats, and other
stakeholders representing all collaborating countries," he
emphasized.
Additionally, attention was drawn to the ongoing renewal and
modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
" The Middle Corridor is inherently digital,
necessitating the utilization of state-of-the-art tracking
technologies to mitigate potential customs issues and ensure
seamless operation as a fully integrated entity. Several high-speed
rail links have been completed or are underway, prominently the
upgraded Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway," expert stated.
The expert emphasized that the private sector should understand
the main and increasingly important importance of the Middle
Corridor for Europe.
"The private sector must recognize the pivotal and increasingly
relevant role of the Middle Corridor for Europe. In the current
global landscape, where China and Southeast Asia serve as the
world's workshops, optimizing logistics to swiftly and securely
transport their products worldwide is imperative. The Middle
Corridor's importance and relevance to Europe and the Western world
are bound to increase, promising substantial benefits to all
participants in a world where international dynamics are in flux
and trade serves as a great equalizer," he said.
Simultaneously, he expressed deep appreciation for the
collaboration among OTS states in the fields of economy, transport,
and defense industry.
"Reflecting on my participation in the Middle Corridor
conference in London, it's clear that OTS and other associated
nations are forging unprecedented levels of collaboration. The
Middle Corridor holds immense potential to foster greater
understanding. Indeed, all OTS nations are actively investing in
and positioned to reap economic benefits from the Middle Corridor,
with substantial upgrades to their transportation infrastructures
underway. Despite historical efforts by the Soviet Union and Russia
to diminish the collective influence of Turkic nations, recent
years have witnessed a decline in Russian dominance and a stronger
sense of Turkic unity. Now is the opportune moment for OTS nations
to assert themselves as significant players on the global stage,"
Neil Watson said.
Economist expert Vugar Bayramov emphasized in his statement that
the Turkic states are a regional power: "If we consider that the
gross domestic product of the Turkic states is 1.4 trillion dollars
and at the same time, taking into account their purchasing power
parity, the combined gross domestic product of the Turkic states
exceeds 4.7 trillion dollars. This indicates that the Turkic states
are a regional power, and because they are a regional power, their
economy contributes to the development of regional and global
trade. Undoubtedly, one of the important points here is that more
than 90 percent of the trade of the Turkic states is with countries
outside the Turkic world."
He stated that the main goals of the Garabagh declaration signed
in Shusha are the acceleration of integration among Turkic states
and simultaneously the expansion of trade relations.
"One of the main goals is that, in addition to increasing the
trade turnover of Turkic states, it should also be possible to
expand trade relations among Turkic states and achieve an increase
in the share of Turkic states' mutual trade in the total trade
turnover. In this context, of course, the Garabagh Declaration will
contribute to the expansion of trade turnover among Turkic states,"
the expert added.
Vugar Bayramov, in return, emphasized decisions related to the
creation of investment funds and their exemption from taxation, as
well as activities aimed at facilitating the trade regime,
including its electronicization, which he noted would enable an
increase in trade turnover among Turkic states and allow them to
contribute more to regional and global trade.
"The integration of Turkic states and the expansion of their
economic relations, increased use of electronic services, and
infrastructure development are also crucial in terms of expanding
the Middle Corridor."
The expert stated that there has been increased interest in the
Middle Corridor after the Russian-Ukrainian war. On the other hand,
he noted that since sanctions against Russia and Iran remain in
force, all of this stimulates the transportation of more products
from both Europe and other developed countries through the Middle
Corridor.
"It is undeniable that Turkic states are leading regional
players in the Middle Corridor. On one hand, the order formed after
Azerbaijan's victory allows for the closer realization of the
Middle Corridor and the possibility of transporting more goods
through it. In 2023 alone, an increase of more than 30 percent was
recorded in the volume of cargo transported across the region. This
is, of course, related to the development of transport and
logistics infrastructure in Turkic states, including Azerbaijan,
increased use of electronic services, as well as a unified tariff
policy in transportation among Turkic states, thereby reducing
transportation costs."
The expert noted that the recent meeting held in Shusha and the
agreements reached in this context will also facilitate the
expansion of the Middle Corridor.
"Of course, Azerbaijan is working on increasing the throughput
capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The throughput capacity
of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars will be increased from 1 million tons to 5
million tons. In this regard, $100 million has been allocated from
the 2024 state budget, with the goal of enhancing the role of
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars as a component of the Middle Corridor, as well as
a segment of the East-West transport corridor for increased cargo
transportation."
The expert also stated that putting the Zangazur corridor into
operation will enable more intensive use of the East-West corridor
as a whole, including the Middle Corridor.
"This, of course, is important in terms of increasing the
region's income from international cargo transportation.
Undoubtedly, these are new opportunities for the region. In this
context, the Garabagh Declaration will serve to increase the volume
of cargo transported across the region as a whole and further
strengthen the geopolitical and geo-economic position of Turkic
states," said Vugar Bayramov.
In conclusion, the recent Garabagh Declaration, signed in
Shusha, signifies a significant step towards enhancing integration
among Turkic states and expanding their trade relations. This
agreement not only aims to boost trade turnover but also
underscores the strategic importance of infrastructure development,
electronic services utilization, and unified tariff policies in
optimizing the Middle Corridor's efficiency.
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