BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 15. President Ilham
Aliyev’s latest go to to Germany additional solidified the place
that Azerbaijan at the moment enjoys within the context of its relations
with European international locations. The go to was a singular alternative for
German decision-makers and companies to discover the advantages of
broadening cooperation with Azerbaijan.
The program of the go to included a number of conferences with native
enterprise leaders, in addition to authorities officers, together with German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President of Germany Frank-Walter
Steinmeier. Official experiences point out that a wide selection of issues
was addressed within the framework of the above-mentioned
discussions.
The pursuits of Azerbaijan are dictated by the apparent
significance of Germany within the system of worldwide relations, its
position within the EU and the financial capabilities of the nation.
While each matter of dialogue held in the course of the conferences bear
significance, there are two main components that ought to be highlighted
within the context of the way forward for bilateral relations and
understanding why the significance of Azerbaijan, as a focus of
the regional German overseas coverage, will develop.
Modus operandi of German overseas coverage
Germany is likely one of the most necessary actors within the European
Union because of its political and financial significance, industrial
and innovation potential, amongst different issues. As an industrial and
financial middle of the Union, in addition to the previous position of Germany
in each world wars, the nation is concentrated on fostering cooperation
with different states as the primary overseas coverage instrument. A extremely
pragmatic method rooted in liberal values, resembling cooperation,
turned Germany into the important thing international economic system throughout a really restricted
timeframe.
This development continues to this present day. The manufacturing output of the
nation is critical, nonetheless, it creates two hurdles that Berlin
wants to beat – offering the mandatory enter, and promoting the
manufactured product.
For a major time, Berlin was having fun with the established
hyperlinks with Moscow, which was Germany’s key gateway to Eastern
markets, and the main vitality supplier. Things took a flip for the
worse, as geopolitical elements got here into play, stopping Germany
from using well-established strategies of operation. This forces
Berlin to reorient and discover different avenues obtainable.
Azerbaijan – credible answer to current
disaster
Looking on the state of affairs from this attitude uncovers the
causes explaining the rise of the importance of Azerbaijan in
the context of German overseas coverage technique. The first curiosity
of Germany is the vitality safety of the nation and its European
companions, which is critical for its continued financial progress.
Azerbaijan has already initiated its transition to a brand new
vitality paradigm by taking steps to change into an vitality producer,
as an alternative of being merely an oil and gasoline exporting state. An added
advantage of Azerbaijan, in comparison with different international locations, is that
Azerbaijan has already launched tasks geared toward growing inexperienced
vitality, and there’s a essential energy-transportation infrastructure
in place.
Energy and inexperienced energy-related issues had been one of many matters
of dialogue between President Aliyev and varied enterprise and
authorities representatives of Germany. During the assembly with
enterprise representatives, President Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan
plans to remodel Nakhchivan right into a inexperienced vitality zone, together with
Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. He additionally added that the growth of
a pipeline system capability will likely be carried out as a response to
rising vitality demand in Europe in the course of the assembly between
President Aliyev and representatives of prime German
firms.
“In explicit, TANAP, which has a capability of 16 bcm. We will
increase as much as 32 and TAP, which has a capability of 10 bcm, will likely be
expanded, we plan as much as 20. And that’s primarily, due to the
rising demand from Europe. Because, you’ll be able to think about the pipeline
of the size of three,500 kilometers built-in, free pipeline system
commissioned 1st January 2021, now wants growth,” the pinnacle of
state acknowledged.
President Aliyev’s method to making sure the vitality safety of
Europe is especially precious for Germany as a result of offering
adequate vitality to European international locations will guarantee the security of
their economies. Due to the built-in nature of European
economies, the financial prosperity of Germany is dependent upon the
prosperity of different international locations, and Azerbaijan, as soon as once more,
expressed its willingness to contribute to this trigger.
“Currently, Azerbaijani gasoline is delivered to Türkiye, Georgia,
Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. It has additionally been delivered to Romania
since this yr. At the top of this yr, we intend to produce first
gasoline to Hungary. We have began negotiations with the Albanian
authorities to ascertain a gasoline provide community in Albania and allow
gasoline exports to Albania sooner or later. At the identical time, the Czech
Republic, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and different
international locations are among the many international locations which have positioned orders with us,”
President Ilham Aliyev stated in the course of the joint press convention with
the German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz.
Therefore, by offering secure gasoline provides to European states
Baku instantly and not directly assists the expansion of German
economic system.
Azerbaijan to bridge a niche between the West and the
East
So, as we now know, geopolitical points additionally stop Germany
from utilizing current transport hyperlinks to supply items and companies to
its companions positioned within the East. Due to the continued battle in
Ukraine, utilizing this route turns into unimaginable to make use of. Alternatively,
Iran might have been used as a hub, nonetheless, Tehran slammed this
door shut way back by its unwillingness to execute a overseas coverage
primarily based on rules of liberalism.
The solely possible transport alternative remaining is the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, often known as Middle
Corridor, which runs by Azerbaijan. This stays the one
possible alternative, contemplating that there is no such thing as a indication on
the potential elimination of structural constraints relating to
various routes.
Azerbaijan’s distinctive location permits the nation to supply this
chance to Germany. This is a considerably necessary
improvement for Germany, each politically and economically. The
availability of the Middle Corridor route implies that Berlin can
proceed pursuing unbiased insurance policies, whereas German companies
will likely be able to persevering with their uninterrupted operations.
As for Azerbaijan, Baku will be capable to generate tangible and
intangible advantages from the participation of Germany within the
route.
While not a lot was stated about this explicit matter, there are
no doubts that transport cooperation will change into one other necessary
ingredient within the relations between Azerbaijan and Germany.
Azerbaijan – Germany’s gateway to South Caucasus and
Caspian area
It goes with out saying that cooperation is turning into a dominant
paradigm in worldwide relations. The go to of President Aliyev
to Germany grew to become a memorable occasion for a number of causes.
First, the go to fosters alternatives for cooperation with
German companies, which possess extremely specialised know-how, which
could also be carried out for the additional improvement of Azerbaijan. This
will positively correlate with the long run progress of Azerbaijan, in
addition to creating alternatives for the advance of bilateral
enterprise relations and stimulating investments by tapping into the
beforehand unexplored potential. President Aliyev additionally made some
remarks on this matter within the framework of the joint press
convention with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz.
“I had a gathering with about 30 German enterprise individuals yesterday.
During the two-hour assembly, I witnessed the good consideration German
enterprise individuals are paying to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s economic system and
alternatives. In addition, there are ample alternatives within the
route of joint improvement and exploitation of renewable
vitality, and we now have exchanged views on this at the moment,” he famous.
Second, President Aliyev’s go to to Germany units for creation of
a stronger financial hyperlink between the nations, which can
consequently result in a spillover impact by bettering the extent of
political relations between Germany and Azerbaijan. This set of
adjustments can be very welcome developments for each nations.
Third, Azerbaijan will function a gateway for Germany to Asia.
Berlin would be capable to make the most of the present infrastructure of
Azerbaijan and proceed the operations with its Asian companions with
minimal dangers, which could be very precious, contemplating the geopolitical
elements that made European international locations relinquish current
routes.
In phrases of advantages to be loved by Azerbaijan, among the
benefits generated by broader cooperation with Germany embody
the additional progress of stature, and the transition to inexperienced vitality
sources, which could be considerably impacted by Germany and native
companies.
President Ilham Aliyev’s go to to Germany guarantees to result in
very optimistic developments for each nations. At the top of the day,
this could not come as a shock as a result of each Azerbaijan and
Germany are working on the rules of liberal values of their
overseas insurance policies.
