by Elmira Tariverdiyeva, Baku. Exclusively for VK
Azerbaijan has achieved international recognition in the last few years since achieving independence. The republic boasts results in foreign relations. Azerbaijan is one of the few post-Soviet republics to find own course after the fall of the USSR. Azerbaijan’s achievements in economic development and political position on the world arena could not be left unnoticed and unrecognized by the world society, which considers Baku an important actor and player on the world arena.
Azerbaijan has demonstrated development, in economic and social terms, in the last years. It is time to make use of the balanced policy of Baku and adjusted economic strategy. Azerbaijan has been invited for the G20 in Mexico’s Los Cabos. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will attend a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Mexico in February, official spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev said in Baku. Azerbaijan has become one of the 10 states invited for the G20.
“Invitation of Azerbaijan to the meeting is an indicator of growing authority of the country and success of foreign policy”, Abdullayev said. An invitation to such authoritative platform is another fact proving that Azerbaijan has turned from an absolute regional leader to an essential world player, with its opinion taken into account by world leaders. Despite occupation of 20% of territory by Armenia and a million refugees that cannot return home, Azerbaijan is the leader of South Caucasus. The country has a share of 83% in the common economy of South Caucasus. With account of such progress, Azerbaijan feels cramped in the region and neighborhood, it has chances to become a world-level actor.
Initially, establishment of the independent state was based on energy resources of Azerbaijan. The world viewed the republic as an oil state at first. The world society, especially European states, have big hopes in Azerbaijan as a gas supplier with huge fuel reserves and readiness to enforce energy security of the EU. The factors influence the economic situation in the country, which aggravated after the world financial recession of 2008. The stabilization fund managed to keep the national currency, manat, without losses. Azerbaijan is now a powerful and rich state. The state budget in the first years of independence totaled $2 billion, it has reached $20 billion today. Yet, Azerbaijan’s attendance of the G20 forum is not just a reflection of economic achievement of the resource-rich state, but is also an illustration of its political success, which was set by President Heydar Aliyev’s foreign policy and continued by President Ilham Aliyev. The course has not fallen off the line of political preferences for many years, making Azerbaijan equally valuable for the EU and the Middle East, as well as other world players.
Azerbaijan has achieved authority in the world, always supporting and preserving equal and friendly ties with other states, always ready to help and assist in stability and security on common space. A bright example to prove the point is Azerbaijan’s peacekeeping operations all over the world, its assistance in natural and anthropogenic disasters in Russia, Turkey, Israel and Europe.
The invitation to the G-20 forum is part of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic victories, with its becoming a temporary member of the UN Security Council being the latest achievement. Azerbaijan will chair the UN Security Council from May 2012 to September 2013.
The G20 invitation is another victory, proving dynamic development of Azerbaijan today, undoubtful to anyone. World players note the role of Azerbaijan in the region, its activity and balanced position in international processes, readiness to take part in humanitarian missions.
Moreover, Azerbaijan has always been active and has always been cooperating with international organization on bilateral and multilateral basis. Azerbaijan has been actively cooperating with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and joined the Non-Aligned Movement. It is negotiating a simplified visa regime with the EU and cooperates with NATO, having a group of troops in Afghanistan and remaining one of the main strategic partners of Washington and Moscow.
The listed above examples show that world players view cooperation with Azerbaijan in various spheres as a contribution to support of peace and stability. Azerbaijan has acted as a state with willingness and opportunity to become an independent member of the world society in the last years. Azerbaijan’s victories are historic diplomatic victories, proving that the state is well-known and has world recognition, it is supported by the world society. Azerbaijan has a chance to show everyone that the state may gain a respectable position in any international institution.
