Strengthening ties, shaping the future: Azerbaijan-China partnership CGTN article spotlights Azerbaijani deputy FM’s opinion

The website of the Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN) has published an article reflecting the opinion of Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elnur Mammadov, on the growing partnership between Azerbaijan and China. Caliber.Az offers its readers selected excerpts from the article.

“We are determined to strengthen our interaction in international affairs, to jointly protect the common interests of our two countries and jointly promote regional and global peace, stability and development. As a result, we have included fundamental principles of international law in the Strategic Partnership Declaration – "mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs" – which have always been important for our two countries.

The deputy minister emphasized that Azerbaijan has always supported and will continue to support the one-China policy.

“We have always supported and will continue to support the one-China policy. And we recognize that there is only one China and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. We consider Taiwan as an integral part of Chinese territory, and we firmly oppose any form of "Taiwan independence." That has been our consistent position over the past decades since Azerbaijan's restoration of its independence,” he said.

Speaking about the successful development of trade and economic ties, the Deputy Minister noted that China is still one of the five largest trade partners of Azerbaijan and remains one of the main sources of imports.

“We value the sustainable and dynamic development of trade and economic relations between our two countries. In 2024, our trade turnover increased by 20 percent compared to 2023. Currently, there are approximately 300 active companies with Chinese investments in Azerbaijan, and we anticipate that this number will continue to grow. China remains one of Azerbaijan's top five trading partners and is a leading source of imported goods. To facilitate the activities of Azerbaijani and Chinese companies, we actively promote cooperation in various sectors, particularly in energy. Our collaboration in traditional fossil fuel energy is increasingly complemented by developments in the green energy sector. Chinese companies have already participated in the development of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan."

Mammadov also emphasized the importance of people-to-people contacts. From July 2024, Chinese citizens can travel to Azerbaijan without a visa, which is expected to have a positive impact on the inflow of tourists.

“Notably, the number of tourists traveling from China to Azerbaijan has doubled over the past year. Furthermore, the introduction of direct flights from Beijing and Urumqi to Baku has facilitated this growth. While the visa exemption is currently valid for one year, we are actively working towards making it unlimited and reciprocal,” he added.