STATEMENT

by

H.E. Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Informal Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

of the BSEC Member States

(25 September 2020)

Excellencies,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me start by thanking the Romanian Chairmanship for organizing today’s informal meeting and for guiding us through the difficult times.  

I already had an opportunity to meet with some colleagues, but as it is my first BSEC Ministerial, let me assure you of my interest and commitment to working with you all. 

Cooperating in time of a crisis has taken on new urgency as the COVID-19 continues to spread globally. Azerbaijan has contributed to international efforts to address the ongoing pandemic by providing 5 million USD to the World Health Organization's Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which was supplemented by an additional 5 million USD for 15 countries (total $ 10 million) from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Along with this, Azerbaijan has put forward a number of important initiatives, including the convening of the special session of the UN General Assembly and the Summit of the NAM Contact Group. These initiatives aim to facilitate a global response in the spirit of unity, solidarity and renewed multilateralism.

At the national level, we adopted extensive support measures targeting the most vulnerable people, most affected sectors of the economy and businesses. The support measures amount to 3% of GDP.

Mr. Chairman,

COVID is not about health only; its economic impact is also tremendous. To build an inclusive and resilient economy, we need to boost cross-border trade and investments, enhance connectivity and promote innovation.  

Azerbaijan plays an active role in boosting Caspian-Black sea cooperation:

On energy, the Southern Gas Corridor is nearing completion and it will be the most tangible delivery of strengthened interconnectivity in Europe. In May this year, Albania started to receive the first molecules of Azerbaijani gas. We look forward to delivering beyond contracted volumes to reach out to the Western Balkans. The project will not only enhance the energy security of several BSEC member states but will also play a critical role in the transition to a net-zero emission energy system in Europe.

Today transportation routes from Central Asia through the Caspian Sea and further through the Caucasus are growing in importance. Despite its landlocked geography, Azerbaijan remains a strong promoter of regional and transregional connectivity solutions through the development of transport links, backbone infrastructure, the logistics center and free trade zone for transportation of cargo and people across Eurasia. Transcaspian Transport Corridor can provide new opportunities for growth in trade and investment. In the framework of the existing regional platforms, such as GUAM, Council of Turkic Speaking States, Azerbaijan continues its efforts to boost cross-border trade through trade facilitation measures.

Azerbaijan launched the Digital Hub project which will create a telecommunication corridor between Europe and Asia. Implementation of this project will create conditions for the creation of a digital economy, development of a digital ecosystem and attraction of large-scale investment. All participating countries will benefit from this project.

Azerbaijan believes in the prosperous future of the Black Sea region. Mutual respect for independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty is a prerequisite for achieving this objective. Regretfully, the continued occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia continues to represent a serious threat to international peace and security.

The sooner Armenia withdraws its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the earlier conflict will be resolved, thus paving the way for the full-scale economic cooperation in the region.

Dear Colleagues,

No doubt BSEC can deliver more. Azerbaijan has always been supportive of the reform processes within BSEC and the transformation of our organization into a more efficient entity. For this purpose, we have put forward several initiatives. We stand ready to continue active participation for their implementation.

With urgency, resolve, and partnership, we can channel our resources to building back better together.

I once again thank the Romanian Chairmanship for the opportunity to reflect on such important issues and wish you all a productive meeting.

Thank you.