President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China, on August 31.
Redaksiya reports, citing President.az, that the heads of state took a joint photo. Xi Jinping greeted President Ilham Aliyev as “my dear friend” and expressed his gratitude for accepting the invitation to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus Summit, as well as in events and military parades dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory over foreign military aggression and fascism.
Xi Jinping emphasized that Azerbaijan-China relations have successfully developed for over 30 years, noting that these ties are currently at the level of comprehensive strategic partnership. The Chinese leader highlighted the increase in trade turnover between the two countries and the expansion of cooperation in energy, including renewable energy, and digital economy sectors. He also stressed the strengthening of cooperation within the “Belt and Road” initiative and the importance of transporting Chinese goods through Azerbaijan, especially via the Trans-Caspian route.
The Chinese President stated that China supports the expansion of Azerbaijan's ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and noted the importance of direct dialogue in ensuring lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Xi Jinping also declared their support for Azerbaijan's development model without interfering in its internal affairs.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the invitation and congratulated the Chinese people on the 80th anniversary of the victory. The head of state, in turn, recalled with satisfaction his state visit to the People's Republic of China and emphasized that those meetings made a significant contribution to the development of comprehensive cooperation. He noted the special importance of the signed document on comprehensive strategic partnership.
President Ilham Aliyev stated that the development of relations with China is one of the priority directions in Azerbaijan's foreign policy. The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan supports China's position on the issues of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and was one of the first countries to condemn the elections held in Taiwan.
The President of Azerbaijan noted a significant increase in trade relations between the two countries, stating that the transportation of Chinese cargo through Azerbaijani territory via the “Middle Corridor” is an indicator of the route's efficiency. Ilham Aliyev also declared that the peace agenda is progressing on a bilateral basis towards the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and that peace has already been established in the region.
During the meeting, the mutual support of Azerbaijan and China in international organizations and the development of ties in the tourism sector following the entry into force of the visa-free travel agreement were emphasized. The parties held a broad exchange of views on the prospects for cooperation.
Sevinc Karimova