SCO countries show interest in Azerbaijani transport projects – expert

The member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are interested in transport projects implemented in Azerbaijan.

The remarks came from the Azerbaijani expert on economics Ilgar Valizade this week, Trend reports.

“Azerbaijan is recognized as an important transport and logistics centre of the region. The international transport corridors East-West, North-South and South-West, passing through the territory of the country, are beneficial for the transportation of goods both in terms of distance and time savings. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Baku International Sea Trade Port further expand the possibilities of these transport corridors,” Valizade said.

"It is enough to note that the transport projects implemented in Azerbaijan raise the interest of such states as Russia, Iran, Türkiye, the countries participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In addition, the transport infrastructure of our country creates opportunities for expanding cooperation within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the Chinese initiative ‘One Belt, One Road’,” the expert pointed out.

According to Valizade, other participants are also interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan, in particular in the transport sector, in the field of transit transportation.

"In Uzbekistan, where the Samarkand summit was recently held, the presidents of the SCO countries discussed the dynamics of the development of bilateral relations, in particular the issue of transit traffic. I think that this summit will become an additional impetus for the implementation of transport projects. Not only the countries that are traditional participants in such summits, but also new, other countries. They are interested in taking part in the work on the implementation of Azerbaijan's transport projects. For example, Iran, which received the status of a candidate for joining the SCO, is an active participant in the North-South project, which is in the active phase of implementation. Relations with the SCO countries are of great importance for us in the economic sphere," he added.