BAKU: The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana is a feather in Kazakhstan’s cap, boosting its clout on the global stage, Trend reports.
Speaking at the media awards ceremony on June 27, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that this SCO summit will, without exaggeration, become one of the most important high-level international forums over the past few years.
“The summit will be attended by leaders of states representing collectively almost half of the world’s population, as well as heads of influential international organizations, including the UN Secretary-General,” he said.
The event is attended by 16 countries, including Azerbaijan. The theme of this year’s SCO summit is “Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue: Strriving for Sustainable Peace and Development.”
Besides the SCO, Kazakhstan is chairing five other international organizations this year. The simultaneous chairmanship of so many international structures is a testament to the enormous confidence in both the country a
nd its leader.
Since receiving his mandate, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has embarked on sweeping reforms in the political and economic spheres. Astana is nurturing good relations with all countries, both in the West and in the East, thanks to its commitment to multilateral cooperation and its strong advocacy of respect for the UN Charter as the basis of modern international law.
“We proceed from national interests in our foreign policy and advocate the resolution of all disputed issues based on rational compromise,” the head of Kazakhstan noted.
There are excellent relations between the heads of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Even though Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have previously been very close both politically and economically, over the past few years, relations between the two countries have reached a new level.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also always supported Azerbaijan’s just position on the former conflict in the region. Moreover, Kazakhstan has directly contributed to the reconstruction pro
cesses in the lands of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation – the head of Kazakhstan initiated the construction of the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center in Fuzuli, liberated from occupation.
The presidents of the two countries personally participated in the opening of this center and visited the city of Shusha, which once again confirmed Kazakhstan’s full support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
“We are brotherly nations, we are allies, strategic partners,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated at the opening of the Center.
To date, the countries have continued cooperation both bilaterally and within several international structures, including the SCO, the Turkic Cooperation Organization (TCO), and others. The parties are actively promoting joint projects, issues, and decisions aimed at the development of the region.
Furthermore, a huge number of economic projects between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have been launched not only bilaterally, but also on a regional scale. These include p
rojects in energy, transportation, and other economic fields. These include the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also called the Middle Corridor, the export of Kazakh oil through Azerbaijan to Europe, plans to diversify the route of these exports through the Baku-Supsa pipeline, and many other projects.
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan enjoy a leading role in their regions, both politically and economically. It is due to this that major international events are held in these countries. And the countries are planning even more such events.
For instance, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Baku in the fall. The decision to hold it in Azerbaijan was made at COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. As the chairman of COP29, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,000-80,000 foreign guests.
All this, of course, demonstrates the great confidence of the world in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both
countries are rich in natural resources and participate in ensuring the energy security of Europe through a stable supply of energy resources. Also, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are located on the transit route from Asia to Europe, which makes them indispensable players in the current geopolitical situation.
Hence, both countries have significant weight in the world arena due to their resources, geopolitical position, and economic development. The international community’s confidence in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is strengthened by their active international diplomacy, stability, and strategic partnerships with other key states. The traditional successful organization of major international events will undoubtedly only increase the authority of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan at the global level.
Source: Trend News Agency