Baku / United Nations (Turkey News): President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, while addressing the participants of the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said that regional cooperation, sustainable development, and international partnership have gained an extremely important status in the context of current global challenges.
According to Azerbaijan’s official news agency AZERTAC, President Ilham Aliyev described this commission in his speech as one of the most comprehensive and effective regional platforms of the United Nations, which plays a key role in promoting sustainable development, regional connectivity, trade, and economic cooperation.
He said that in the present era, increasing geopolitical tensions and conflicts have weakened global peace and security and have put development achievements at risk. Therefore, Azerbaijan continues to strongly support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
President Aliyev said that significant changes have taken place in the South Caucasus since 2021, where Azerbaijan has fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity and initiated a peace process with Armenia. According to him, developments in Washington last year led to a historic progress toward normalization of relations between the two countries.
He stated that trade relations between the two countries have already started, while Azerbaijan has also provided transit access to Armenia. In addition, exchanges between civil societies are further strengthening the confidence-building process.
The President said that Azerbaijan is continuing large-scale reconstruction projects in the liberated territories, while under the Great Return Program, more than 80,000 people have already returned to Karabakh and East Zangezur so that they can begin rebuilding their lives, education, and employment.
He warned that landmines remain a serious humanitarian and development issue, due to which more than 400 civilians have been killed or injured since 2020.
President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan’s economy has grown four times over the past two decades, while the poverty and unemployment rate has decreased to around five percent. He added that major investments have been made in social protection and infrastructure, which have improved the quality of life of a population of over ten million.
He said that Azerbaijan has incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals into its national policy and progress continues in the sectors of education, health, and poverty reduction.
In conclusion, he said that Azerbaijan is emerging as an important regional connectivity hub, where the importance of the Middle Corridor is increasing, while the Zangezur Corridor will play an important role in bringing Asia and Europe closer, which is fully aligned with the objectives of this commission.
