The substance of President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the CICA Summit highlighted Azerbaijan's approach to international relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and strengthening trust, political commentator Ulviyya Zulfigar told Report.
She said the holding of the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku was an important manifestation of Azerbaijan's active role in international political processes and the high level of confidence placed in the country.
"When discussing the significance of this event, it is first necessary to consider the international environment in which it was held. At a time when geopolitical competition is intensifying globally, confrontations are deepening in various regions and international security mechanisms are facing serious challenges, preserving dialogue between states is of particular importance," Zulfigar said.
She noted that in such circumstances, it was significant that Azerbaijan hosted a high-level meeting of a platform encompassing a large part of Asia and bringing together states with differing political and economic interests.
"The overall substance of President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the Summit also highlighted Azerbaijan's approach to international relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and strengthening trust," she said.
Zulfigar said Azerbaijan's activities during its CICA chairmanship demonstrate a systematic and long-term approach to the organization's development.
According to the commentator, Azerbaijan has also identified the development of human capital, greater participation of women in socioeconomic processes, the use of young people's potential, and expanded cooperation in science, education and innovation as priority areas.
"In this regard, the meetings of the Youth Council, the Think Tank Forum and the first CICA Media Forum held in Baku are of particular significance. All this reflects one of the key features of the foreign policy pursued under President Ilham Aliyev - strengthening political dialogue through concrete cooperation projects and practical results," Zulfigar said.
She noted that regional economic integration, transport and communication links, and energy security were also among the notable areas on the summit's agenda.
"Azerbaijan has for many years made an important contribution to establishing reliable transport and energy links between Europe and Asia. One of the general directions highlighted in President Ilham Aliyev's speech was Azerbaijan's effective use of its strategic geographical position, the development of international transport corridors and the expansion of regional cooperation opportunities," she said.
According to Zulfigar, Azerbaijan's transit and logistics capabilities are opening new prospects for Asian countries at a time when the importance of the Middle Corridor is growing and global supply chains are being reshaped.
She added that the positions of CICA member states on a number of regional and international issues do not always coincide.
"Nevertheless, strengthening mutual understanding within the organization and advancing a common agenda demonstrate Azerbaijan's flexible, pragmatic and results-oriented diplomacy. The experience our country has gained in various international organizations under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, its independent political course and relations with partners based on mutual trust play an important role in achieving these results," Zulfigar said.