(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Nazrin Abdul
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Azerbaijan places significant emphasis on fostering relations
with Central Asian countries, particularly its engagements with the
Turkic states in the region. In recent years, there has been a
steady exchange of visits between President Ilham Aliyev and
leaders from Central Asian nations.
President Ilham Aliyev's participation in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on
July 3-4 underscores Azerbaijan's growing international influence.
This marked his fourth visit to Kazakhstan in the last two years
and highlights Azerbaijan's deepening ties with SCO member states,
including Kazakhstan.
Azerbaijan's participation in its second SCO Summit underscores
the elevated level of relations between Azerbaijan and member
states, including Kazakhstan.
Cooperation in the East-West and North-South transport corridors
represents a pivotal area of collaboration between Azerbaijan and
SCO member states. Positioned strategically, Azerbaijan's
substantial investments in transportation infrastructure hold the
potential to position the country as a pivotal transportation and
logistics hub in Eurasia.
Anna Alshanskaya, Head of the Economic Policy Analysis
Department at the Institute of Strategic Studies under the
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized in a press
release the significant attention being given to the development of
the Trans-Caspian international transport route (Middle
Corridor).
Alshanskaya noted that bolstering transport corridors enhances
both countries' roles as pivotal transport hubs, fostering
connectivity between Europe and Asia and yielding economic
benefits. She highlighted the strengthening commercial and economic
relations between the nations, underpinned by regular high-level
meetings of heads of state.
"The imperative of streamlining export and import processes
remains crucial today, with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
offering valuable opportunities to enhance bilateral relations,"
emphasized Alshanskaya.
In light of evolving regional dynamics and post-war realities,
the Zangazur corridor opens new prospects for Central Asia,
including Kazakhstan, aligning interests between the two
countries.
Commendable efforts are underway in constructing the
Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable mainline, integral to the "Digital
Silk Way" project, facilitating international
transport-communication corridors between Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan.
It is worth noting that on September 28, 2022, a memorandum was
signed between 'AzTelecom' and 'Kazakhtelecom', marking a strategic
partnership aimed at laying a fiber-optic communication line across
the Caspian Sea. This initiative underscores Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan's commitment to enhancing regional connectivity through
advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
The Joint Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation,
established in 1999, continues to serve as a cornerstone for
bilateral relations. Its 20th meeting, held recently in Astana,
highlights ongoing efforts to deepen economic ties and foster
mutual development strategies.
Parliamentary relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are
robust, supported by active friendship groups within legislative
bodies of both nations. These groups play a crucial role in
promoting bilateral dialogue and legislative cooperation.
The enduring historical ties between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
are reinforced by a substantial Azerbaijani community of up to two
hundred thousand residing in Kazakhstan. Their contributions across
diverse sectors such as science, art, agriculture, and business
underscore the depth of socio-cultural integration between the two
countries.
In addition to bilateral engagements, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
are actively expanding cooperation within the Organization of
Turkic States (OTS). The recent non-official Summit in Shusha on
July 6 focused on strengthening intra-Turkic relations, culminating
in the signing of the Garabagh Declaration. This initiative aims to
foster stability and collaboration across political, economic,
transportation, defense, humanitarian, educational, and cultural
domains among member states.
The OTS member countries collectively possess extensive
resources, encompassing over 4.5 million square kilometers in
territory, a combined GDP exceeding 1.5 trillion dollars, and a
population surpassing 160 million. Trade within the organization
amounts to 42.3 billion dollars annually, contributing
significantly to global trade flows.
Economic ties between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are particularly
dynamic, with 182 Kazakh-invested commercial entities registered in
Azerbaijan across key sectors such as industry, agriculture,
construction, transportation, trade, and services. In 2023,
bilateral trade reached 598.47 million dollars, reflecting
sustained economic collaboration and mutual benefit.
Furthermore, bilateral cooperation in the energy sector
continues to thrive, with Azerbaijan facilitating the transit and
processing of Kazakh crude oil through strategic pipelines like the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route. This partnership underscores
Azerbaijan's role as a regional energy hub and enhances
Kazakhstan's global oil market access.
"SOCAR Midstream Operations" LLC began transporting 125,000 tons
of oil per month from Kazakhstan's Tengiz field via the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in March 2023. The first loading of
Kazakh oil from Aktau port to the "President Heydar Aliyev" tanker
took place on March 21 last year, and the second loading to the
"Shusha" tanker on March 28.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are successfully
developing not only in all areas but also in the energy sector. The
roadmap signed between SOCAR and "KazMunayGaz" in 2023 has created
broad opportunities for expanding bilateral relations. Mutual
beneficial cooperation, oil processing, transit, and
economic-commercial relations are accelerating Azerbaijan's rapid
development, transforming it into a regional energy hub.
It is worth noting that on December 2023, a trilateral meeting
was held in Baku between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan,
where the prospects for exporting electricity from Europe through
Azerbaijan's territory were discussed, resulting in the signing of
a joint communiqué. The document highlighted cooperation in energy
exchange focusing on renewable energy sources, green hydrogen and
ammonia development, export, and the creation of corresponding
infrastructure. The communiqué also outlined joint projects such as
the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe export corridor and the prospects for
the Nakhchivan-Turkiye-Europe energy corridor. Therefore, as
President Ilham Aliyev stated during his speech at the OTS Summit
in Shusha, 'Our strategic partnership in the energy sector,
including our cooperation in renewable energy and energy
efficiency, is of great importance.'
According to the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, there are
currently 133 facilities producing alternative energy in the
country, including 48 wind, 43 solar, 39 hydroelectric, and 3
biogas power stations. These facilities have a total production
capacity of 2.5 gigawatts. In the second half of 2023 alone, these
stations generated a total of 3.35 billion kilowatt-hours of
energy.
According to the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) report, Kazakhstan, located in a region with
significant wind flows in the northern hemisphere of our planet,
has the potential to produce a large volume of wind energy. Experts
from the organization noted that this potential amounts to 1820
billion kilowatt-hours. The Kazakh government plans to install
power stations producing a total of 1 million kilowatt-hours of
wind energy in 46 districts by 2030 and work is already underway in
this direction. With 3000 hours of sunlight per year, Kazakhstan
provides favorable conditions for substantial solar energy
production, with a potential of 1 billion gigawatt-hours of solar
energy production in the country.
As evident, Kazakhstan's significant potential for large-scale
alternative energy production underscores the necessity of its
export. The fiber-optic telecommunication route through
Azerbaijan's territory, connecting Europe and Asia via the Caspian
Sea, will not only benefit OTS member countries but also contribute
significantly to the economies of all regional states. The
implementation of such global-scale projects is a result of
Azerbaijan's pragmatic policy. The mutually beneficial cooperation
among Turkic states will pave the way for the creation of a major
alliance in the near future and enable them to exert influence in
global geopolitical processes. Azerbaijan will play a leading role
not only in the transit of goods from Asia to Europe but also in
the transit of energy.
In conclusion, the comprehensive and dynamic partnership between
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan exemplifies a strategic alignment deeply
rooted in historical ties, mutual economic interests, and shared
regional aspirations. From high-level political engagements and
infrastructure projects to robust trade relations and cultural
exchanges, both nations continue to strengthen their cooperation
across multiple fronts. As pivotal players in regional and
international forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
and the Organization of Turkic States, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan's
collaborative efforts not only foster economic growth but also
contribute to stability and connectivity across Eurasia. Looking
ahead, their enduring friendship and proactive diplomacy are poised
to further elevate bilateral relations, offering promising
prospects for continued mutual benefit and regional
integration.
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