12th Global Baku Forum hosts panel "Geopolitical Shifts: Responsible Partnerships versus Rivalry"

At the 12th Global Baku Forum, a panel on "Geopolitical Shifts: Responsible Partnerships versus Rivalry" has been held under the moderation of former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia Eka Tkeshelashvili, Report informs.

Charles Michel, former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Belgium, was the first to speak. He shared that the start of his term coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented significant challenges. "At that time, decision-making was difficult, and we focused on ensuring the timely delivery of vaccines. Later, the Russia-Ukraine war began, and our priority was to assist Ukraine, demonstrating our commitment to supporting a multipolar world. Unity is our strength because it concerns our future," he stated.

Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, emphasized that Azerbaijan is closely monitoring global developments. "We are witnessing an increase in polarization. Multilateral diplomacy has become more important in this context. At the same time, we are seeing a fragmentation and deepening confrontation between the East and West. The South Caucasus is a region where the interests of major powers collide, and these processes may not always align with our own interests," he explained. Hajiyev also expressed Azerbaijan's desire for a new European Union policy toward the region, warning that Armenia's militarization could deepen divisions.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia and co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, pointed out the rise of populism in the modern world, with some state leaders making illogical arguments. She described this as a regrettable trend. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and former Foreign Minister, stated that the world is at a pivotal moment in history.

Shafik Gabr, Chairman and CEO of ARTOC, noted that the younger generation is working to bridge the gap between the West and East. "Throughout history, geopolitical changes have occurred—World War II, the Cold War, the pandemic. These events changed our world, and now we are seeing even more polarization. Some forces are trying to exert influence through the media, while the power of soft diplomacy is declining and hard power is on the rise. A major weakness of international organizations is that they focus too much on military spending. As geopolitics changes, geoeconomics will also shift, impacting the entire world. If geopolitics is unstable, geoeconomics will be unstable as well," he stated.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, representative of the Greek Prime Minister, former European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs, and Citizenship, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, highlighted the EU's lack of unity on various issues, leading to divisions and the rise of nationalism. He argued that Europe is facing an existential crisis. Avramopoulos also described Azerbaijan as a stabilizing factor and praised the Global Baku Forum as one of the largest global events.