President Aliyev: Azerbaijan maintains strong relations with neighbors across region

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan maintains strong relations with its neighbors and regional partners, highlighting cooperation and connectivity as key elements of the country's foreign policy during the opening ceremony of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum.

"And now we are only working on the issues how to expand it, because we did not expect that our geography will be so needed in recent times. Interaction with neighbors to the east and to the west are excellent," President Ilham Aliyev said, Caliber.Az reports via state media.

The Azerbaijani president noted that the country enjoys good relations with Central Asian states as well as neighbouring Georgia and Türkiye, and with European partners.

"And to connect all that, of course, we needed to initiate many steps that could enable the corridor to be efficient," he added.

The president also said Azerbaijan's foreign policy has consistently focused on regional cooperation and mutual understanding.

"The policy of Azerbaijan has always been aimed at cooperation, at addressing the concerns of our neighbors and also them to be ready to address our concerns and atmosphere,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

"What I was talking about atmosphere here in Shusha at the media forum is the same what we are trying to create, and I hope we managed to create among many international actors," the head of state added.

Commenting on relations with Türkiye, Aliyev described the partnership as uniquely close.

"People in Türkiye and Azerbaijan are the closest among all the countries of the world. Looking at the level of cooperation—political, economic, energy, connectivity, and people-to-people relations—it is clear that no other two countries in the world are so close, supportive, and friendly to each other than Türkiye and Azerbaijan," President Ilham Aliyev said.

By Sabina Mammadli