After the liquidation of the separatist regime in Khankendi and the restoration of the constitutional order of Azerbaijan throughout the Karabakh economic region, an entire era in the history of the Republic of Azerbaijan ended. As President Ilham Aliyev noted in a recent interview, it would be replaced by a new era in which the country would have new goals and objectives.
- Konstantin Igorevich, in your opinion, what successes has Azerbaijan achieved so far in the 21st century?
- First of all, it is necessary to say that Azerbaijan has managed to restore territorial integrity. This task was on the agenda with the emergence of an independent state and accompanied its development until 2020.
Secondly, stable state institutions have been created in Azerbaijan during this time. Today, the republic has a fairly strong political system with the corresponding attributes - a strong army and a stable system of political parties.
Thirdly, the Azerbaijani authorities have built an effective system of multi-vector foreign policy. Today, Azerbaijan takes a balanced position. The country has an alliance agreement with Türkiye and an alliance declaration with Russia. At the same time, Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the European Union in the field of energy. The country is also building mutually beneficial relations with Iran despite certain disagreements. In recent years, Baku has also made interaction with the Central Asian countries an important vector of its foreign policy.
Fourthly, in the 21st century, a strong economic system was established in Azerbaijan. Yes, it was initially based on obtaining oil and gas revenues, but nevertheless Azerbaijan is the largest economy in the South Caucasus and the largest market. This can also be credited to the republic and its leadership.
- In your opinion, what was the role of the top leadership of Azerbaijan in its history in recent decades?
- The results of the work of the previous President Heydar Aliyev are the foundation of today's successes of Azerbaijan. For twenty years, President Ilham Aliyev has successfully continued and developed the policy of ensuring internal stability and the state's strengthening.
- What tasks doeas Azerbaijan face after the closure of the Karabakh issue?
- The tasks in foreign policy are to maintain a balanced position in order to exclude involvement in the complex geopolitical situation that has developed in the world. We see that there are strategic risks associated with the confrontation between global powers, and risks in neighbouring regions, I mean, what is happening in the Middle East now. The expansion of the Middle East conflict will pose a threat to the republic, and this should be avoided too.
In the economic sphere, the tasks are to diversify the economy and to find new growth points in non-oil sectors. In the social sphere there are the tasks of reducing social stratification and continuing the fight against poverty, increasing the level of well-being of citizens. The tasks of increasing the efficiency of public administration through the fight against corruption and the gradual rotation of officials will remain.
Of course, the problem of normalization of relations with Armenia will remain a separate foreign policy task. The failure of this task is also a risk. These are neighbouring states, and their geography cannot be avoided, so we should expect new efforts to establish a stable peace between Baku and Yerevan.
