Political scientist: Co-op between Azerbaijan & Arab countries to expand

Political and diplomatic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Arabic countries is possible and expected to increase in the long term, Arab political and military analyst Mohammed Saleh Alftayeh told Report.

“Since October 2020, we have seen positive developments regarding relations between Azerbaijan and major Arabic countries, especially energy-exporting ones. This positive development is the result of several factors. The most important of them could be the meeting of visions of these countries regarding the future of energy sector and how to use the hydrocarbon reserves of these countries in developing green energy solutions, especially blue and green hydrogen and carbon capture and storing capabilities,” he noted.

These are, of course, long-term projects, but agreements and contracts have started to flow, he stressed.

“For instance, last month, UAE’s Masdar company signed a joint development agreement with the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), for onshore wind and solar projects, with a total combined capacity of 4 gigawatts. This project will also produce green hydrogen which is a green energy source that Western countries start to use to reduce dependence on Russian gas,” the expert reminded.

“The War of October 2020 allowed for new trade routes to be envisaged linking Azerbaijan with the Middle East and Europe. The rapprochement between Türkiye and major Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, mainly UAE and Saudi Arabia, has also facilitated the flow of investment to the region. Political and diplomatic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Arabic countries is possible and expected to increase in the long term.”