Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26. The successful
visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to China and the joint
statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership
mark a new level in China-Azerbaijan relations, Wang Zaibang,
senior fellow at the Taihe Institute of China, told Trend.
“A comprehensive strategic partnership means becoming
cooperative partners in all critical areas and on major strategic
issues,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan is a key country in the
Central Asia Corridor and the Silk Road, holding significant
geopolitical and geo-economic importance.
“The strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan is
primarily reflected in the following aspects:
—A strategic partnership for win-win cooperation and shared
development;
—A strategic partnership for safeguarding the security of the
Central Asia corridor and promoting the development of the Belt and
Road Initiative;
—A strategic partnership for maintaining the fundamental
stability of Eurasia’s geopolitical landscape,” noted the
expert.
Zaibang pointed out that during this presidential visit to
China, the two sides signed a series of agreements and memorandums
of understanding covering nearly all fields.
“Personally, I believe the cooperation between the two countries
in digital economy, technology, and space exploration is
particularly worth close attention. China leads the world in green
energy technology, while Azerbaijan has ambitious plans for
developing renewable energy. Cooperation between the two countries
in this field offers strong complementarity and enormous potential
for growth,” he added.
Touching upon one of the paragraphs of the joint statement,
which, among other things, says that China supports the elevation
of Azerbaijan’s legal status in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), Zaibang expressed optimism regarding the future
of relations.
“Azerbaijan is already a dialogue partner of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the two sides have established
close relations. Azerbaijan recognizes the SCO’s purposes and
principles, while the SCO highly values Azerbaijan’s role in
maintaining security, stability, and development in Eurasia.
Against the backdrop of current geopolitical tensions and a
disordered international economic landscape, we remain optimistic
about further elevating the relationship between Azerbaijan and the
SCO,” he said.
The expert concluded by saying that enhancing Azerbaijan’s
relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is
conducive to expanding and consolidating economic, technological,
and security cooperation between Azerbaijan and member states
within the SCO.