Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Central Asia MFA spox says

Aykhan Hajizada, the head of the press service for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, responded to local media inquiries regarding President Ilham Aliyev's meetings in Astana.

He particularly highlighted the results of President Aliyev's discussion with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Caliber.Az reports.

"Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Central Asia. Brotherhood bonds and historical ties between our countries, as well as geopolitical dynamics occurring in the region and around the world, make it necessary to further deepen joint cooperation among our brotherly countries," he said.

Hajizada added that President Ilham Aliyev’s regular visits to Central Asia, as well as the visits of the Heads of these States to Azerbaijan, are factors contributing to the growth and determination of the strategic character of relations between the two nations.

"Documents, agreements, and joint projects agreed upon during the mutual visits shape the prospects of relations between our countries. In this regard, we would like to emphasize that during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to our country in March of this year, the agreement to establish an investment fund between the two countries was concluded and an agreement on the establishment of a fund worth USD 300 million was signed during the Astana meeting," the spokesman noted.

He underscored that the leaders of the two countries remain centred on the deepening of cooperation within international organizations, particularly within the Organization of Turkic states, as well as the prospects for broad partnership within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). Therefore, the Astana meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will provide an additional impetus to broad cooperation between the two countries.

"At the same time, the participation of the President of Azerbaijan as an honorary guest at the SCO Summit for the second time is an indicator of high esteem and confidence in Azerbaijan and our President. Azerbaijan and the majority of SCO member states are linked by close relations of friendship, brotherhood and strategic partnership.

Given Azerbaijan’s important role in integration processes in our region and broader geography, as well as its close involvement in the work of the SCO, we are confident that these meetings and events will provide additional impetus to the process of obtaining an observer status in the Organization," Hajizada concluded.