“In the last week, the visits of the presidents of Latvia, a member state of the European Union, and Ukraine, which holds a special position in the region, to Azerbaijan are among the factors that demonstrate our country's geopolitical power. The signing of 11 documents during the visits is also an indicator of the interest in close cooperation with our country,” economist deputy Vuqar Bayramov said in an interview with Medianews.az.
He stated that over the last two years, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Ukraine increased by 31 percent, reaching 510 million dollars: “An 11 percent increase was recorded last year. During the year, products worth 227 million dollars were sent from Azerbaijan to Ukraine. 5.5 percent of Azerbaijan's non-oil and gas exports are delivered to Ukraine.”
V. Bayramov noted that despite the political cataclysms observed in the region during the formation of the new world order, the policy implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev has not only strengthened Azerbaijan's geopolitical position but also transformed our country into a regional “middle power” state: “The multidirectional foreign policy has simultaneously strengthened Azerbaijan’s partnerships with the West and the East, further enhancing its role in preserving regional security.
Azerbaijan makes a special contribution to strengthening the energy security of the region's countries, including Europe. Through the TAP pipeline, Azerbaijan has transported more than 57 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe so far. Currently, 16 countries, including 10 member states of the European Union, purchase natural gas from Azerbaijan. As noted by the President of Azerbaijan during his meeting with the President of Latvia, our country is the first among gas-exporting countries in terms of supply geography via pipelines. Azerbaijan ranks among the top five in the volume of natural gas imports in the European Union. This once again confirms the role our country plays in protecting Europe's energy security.”
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az