Baku: The 13th Global Baku Forum has featured a panel session on the theme "Middle Corridor and Eurasian Connection Gateway." The panel session was moderated by Boris Tadic, former President of Serbia. Abdulaziz Kamilov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Foreign Policy, described Azerbaijan's rapprochement with the Central Asian region as a historically significant strategic process.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, President Ilham Aliyev's meeting with the leaders of Central Asia holds exceptional importance for cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, and especially energy. Binali Yildirim, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, emphasized that by taking appropriate strategic steps, it is possible to increase the annual volume of transportation up to 20 trillion dollars, highlighting the invaluable importance of the Middle Corridor.
Shahmar Movsumov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Economic Issues and Innovative Development Policy of the Presidential Administration, noted Azerbaijan's focus on integrating transport, energy, and digital infrastructure within the Middle Corridor project. The Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Cable project aims to deliver high-speed digital connection of up to 300 terabits per second between Asia and Europe, strengthening regional digital integration.
Eka Tkeshelashvili, former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, stressed Azerbaijan's pivotal role in regional integration, adding that the region has strengthened its ability to make strategic decisions independently. Thanks to deepened strategic cooperation among member states, a new example of a 'regional middle power' has emerged.
Ana Birchall, Presidential Adviser and former Deputy Prime Minister of Romania, highlighted the importance of an active role as a bridge between the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Euro-Atlantic space. Rashid Alimov, former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), emphasized the goal of developing freight zones along the corridor to make this route an integral part of the global value chain.
Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, stressed Azerbaijan's critical role in ensuring connectivity between Asia and Europe within the Middle Corridor project. Lazar Comanescu, Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, underlined the importance of building land and sea connections between Europe and Asia, describing it as a strategic development for the Black Sea region and its surrounding areas.