Azerbaijan International Investment Forum Panel Discusses Global Shifts, Vital Crossroads

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22.​ Azerbaijan's Baku hosted a panel session titled“Strategic Crossroads Amid Global Changes” within the framework of the 1st Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, held under the patronage of President Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports.

The session brought together government officials, experts from leading global think tanks, and representatives of international organizations.

Moderated by Toby Gregory of Euronews, the discussion featured insights from Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, who underlined the country's role as a vital transit hub connecting global markets.

He also stressed the importance of creating new connectivity opportunities in the South Caucasus and Central Asia within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, noting that diversification of transport routes between East and West is of strategic importance. Nabiyev highlighted the Middle Corridor as a key element of these efforts, with the Zangazur corridor serving as one of its main arteries.

Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, Deputy Energy Minister Orkhan Zeynalov, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei, World Bank's Regional Director for the South Caucasus Roland Price, Director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at LUISS University Raffaele Marchetti, former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza, and former President of Brazil's New Development Bank Marcos Prado Troyjo also shared views on the strategic role of the South Caucasus and Central Asia amid global shifts. They emphasized the regions' growing potential in international relations and the role of infrastructure, energy, and transport projects in advancing transregional integration.

The session, divided into two parts,“Transnational Road for Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)” and“The Role of the South Caucasus and Central Asia in the Global Scenario,” also featured a keynote address by renowned economist Nouriel Roubini, CEO of Roubini Macro Associates. Roubini discussed the role of macroeconomic stability, sound governance, financial capital, and diversification in driving growth, as well as the synergies between technology and energy. He noted that the South Caucasus and Central Asia are poised to play a strategic role in the new multipolar global economy, serving as a bridge between Europe and Asia. He added that the TRIPP initiative represents not only an instrument of economic integration but also a tool for strengthening regional peace and prosperity.

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