Azerbaijan at SCO Summit: Bridging East and West [ANALYSIS]

Yesterday, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit commenced in Astana, under the presidency of Kazakhstan. The summit could be a pivotal event in shaping geopolitical processes, and the main agenda of the summit was the discussion of the "Eurasian security system."

It is worth noting that Russia's proposal on this topic is viewed as a significant step in the establishment of a more multipolar world order. Azerbaijan's participation in this important event carries great political significance for Baku.

It should be noted that this Organisation encompasses 40% of the world's population, making it a major global force. On the other hand, rebuilding the international security system, shattered after the Russia-Ukraine war, and transitioning from a unipolar to a multipolar world system hold great importance. The SCO currently stands as one of the main centres of this multipolar world. Azerbaijan's participation at this level in the SCO summit also reflects its gravity and importance among global powers.

It is important to highlight that the competition worldwide between the West and the East has intensified in recent times. Azerbaijan is one of the rare states desired for partnership by both sides. Thus, the Western and Eastern Fronts are actively working on developing close cooperation with Azerbaijan.

In particular, Chinese and Russian leaders attach special importance to their bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan. Chinese leader Xi Jinping's high regard for Azerbaijan and inviting President Ilham Aliyev to his country attest to this.

Additionally, the development of relations between the two countries is evidenced by the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the development of Trans-Caspian International Transport Routes for the China-Europe Railway Express," as well as the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China on the joint acceleration of the formation of a cooperation plan for the Belt and Road Initiative."

It should also be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed global and regional issues with the Azerbaijani leader, particularly focusing on transport corridors. All these interactions can be seen as indicators of Azerbaijan's global influence.

The fact that world leaders specifically discussed transport corridors with President Ilham Aliyev underscores the importance attached to Azerbaijan's position on this matter.

Furthermore, the trilateral meeting of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Pakistan in Astana is very significant in terms of ensuring security in the Central Corridor geography by these decisive countries.

It is worth noting that for the first time, the SCO Forum was held in the format of a meeting of the heads of state of SCO member states and the format of the "SCO Plus" meeting.

During the SCO Heads of State Council meeting, the Astana Declaration and three statements by the heads of state, including initiatives on "World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony, and Development," and "Enhancing SCO," were also adopted.

The event was attended by the heads of state and government of Kazakhstan, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkyie, and Turkmenistan, as well as SCO Secretary-General Cjan Min.

The special invitation of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to this event and the great importance given to the strategic partnership of Azerbaijan in mutual meetings also indicate that Azerbaijan will be accepted as a full member of the SCO in the near future. In the true sense of the word, this is an immeasurable success for Azerbaijan and is a serious impetus for future strategic steps.