Vestnik Kavkaza talked with Stanislav Tkachenko, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, head of the master's program "Diplomacy" at St. Petersburg State University, and member of the Valdai International Discussion Club, about the new stage of development of Azerbaijan.
As Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted in a recent interview, the upcoming early presidential elections will mark the beginning of a new historical era in the life of the country. He explained that the previous era ended with the closure of the Karabakh issue and the elimination of the hotbed of separatism on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The boundary between two eras is the best time to take stock and establish prospects for further action.
- Stanislav Leonidovich, how do you assess Azerbaijan's achievements in the 21st century?
- First of all, it must be said that Azerbaijan has built a modern economy over the past years of the 21st century. We see how Baku is striving to move away from the export and raw model and diversify its economy. It is most important. Besides, during these years, the Azerbaijani authorities have worked to improve the living standards of citizens. This work has not been completed yet, but nevertheless, a fairer and more prosperous society is being built in the republic.
- In your opinion, what helped Azerbaijan to achieve these results?
- Reasonable domestic and foreign policy. First of all, Azerbaijan made the right bet on equidistance and proximity in relations with Türkiye and Russia. This provided the country with favorable conditions for internal development, access to the markets of the two countries, and a solution to the Karabakh problem. Russia's neutrality and Turkish support ensured this decision.
- In your opinion, what was the role of the top leadership of Azerbaijan in its history in recent decades?
- Very positive, reasonable and completely adequate to the tasks facing the country. The entire Aliyev family - both former President Heydar Aliyev and current President Ilham Aliyev - have been making deliberate decisions and implementing carefully thought up steps. Both are characterized by the ability not to escalate where it is not required, but at the same time to implement a tough internal policy that prevents chaos and ensures the security of citizens and the state.
- What tasks does Azerbaijan face after the closure of the Karabakh issue?
- Now we need to build a modern, prosperous state. This is a task for about five generations. After solving the Karabakh problem, Azerbaijan does not face any other outstanding challenges, but there is a task to find its place in the international division of labor and in transport and logistics routes, to avoid the middle-income trap when their growth stops, and ensure the independence of the national economy from external shocks.
I think, Azerbaijan will continue to look for a stable position in the multipolar system, so as not to find itself between two fires if a conflict suddenly breaks out in the Iran-Russia-Türkiye triangle, because in this case, regardless of the conflict's sides, Azerbaijan will be at the epicenter. In general, there are still a lot of tasks, but they are of a routine nature; there are no more urgent problems.
