Farid Shafiyev: Azerbaijan benefits from cooperation with Global South

Azerbaijan benefits from cooperation with the Global South, according to Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Center for the Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), Report informs.

Speaking at an event themed "The Rise of the Global South and the West: Azerbaijan's Role, New Opportunities for Cooperation and Development" held in the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, Shafiyev noted that the Global South has become not only a geographical but also a political concept:

"The influence of leftist ideology is still felt in the Global South today. The Global South is now taking concrete steps beyond discussion. There are issues currently on the agenda of the Global South. For example, they try to draw attention to issues such as double standards, the Russia-Ukraine issue, the reception of refugees, etc. Attention is also paid to international legal issues arising from this."

The chairman emphasized that there have been three attempts (2020-2023) against Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council, and these were neutralized: "This was achieved thanks to the members of the Non-Aligned Movement."

Shafiyev added that Azerbaijan has dependencies on several countries in terms of trade: "Energy products are exported to Europe, while agricultural products are mostly exported to Russia. If cooperation and trade issues with African countries are strengthened, we could also sell such products to those countries. According to the strategy that has become a national security issue, we need to reduce our dependence on energy revenues because oil prices have fallen."