Presidential aide floats possible Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-China agreement on TITR

Trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan and China are developing very actively, and the Central Corridor becoming operational at full capacity is going to boost these relations.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, made the statement in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), per Report.

However, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITM) project has its own difficulties to overcome, he said.

"The Middle Corridor crosses several countries' territories, our Central Asian partners, Georgia, Türkiye. We are working very hard with our Kazakh, Georgian and Turkish colleagues. The single window element is very important for TITR, especially for Chinese companies that are interested in the delivery of their goods to Europe. The implementation of the single window, which is already working and we want to involve the Chinese side in it, will allow standardisation and simplification of procedures along the whole route," Hajiyev noted. He added that it was happening faster than expected because business has its own rules.

The presidential aide noted that Azerbaijan has taken note of the recent agreement signed between China and Kazakhstan on the Middle Corridor. "We are also thinking about the possibility of such an agreement between Azerbaijan and China. Perhaps a similar trilateral agreement will be signed in the future," he said.

"We expect the concept of China plus Central Asia to develop into China plus Central Asia plus Azerbaijan, not 1 plus 5, but plus 6, and this is not just mathematics, this is chemistry that happens between the sides," he said, expressing confidence that such chemistry possible because China has always been open to other cultures and civilisations and approaches them with appreciation and respect.