Aliyev, Xi discuss Azerbaijan's higher status in SCO
BAKU. July 4 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana.
"Our countries are good friends and close partners relying on equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. Chinese-Azerbaijani relations have always been developing on a sound and stable foundation. Bilateral cooperation has brought effective results and has become more substantive," Xi said.
According to the Azerbaijani presidential website, Xi said a joint declaration had been adopted in Astana and added, "The document will upgrade bilateral relations to the level of strategic cooperation. This is also a new starting point. We will continue to increase mutual support to the benefit of our peoples."
Aliyev said, for his part, the declaration formally turns the People's Republic of China and Azerbaijan into strategic partners. "I believe this is a great achievement and a great responsibility. We aim at further active cooperation and strengthening of bilateral relations in all areas. [...] We are glad that bilateral trade has been growing, has reached $3 billion and has a potential for further increase. Azerbaijan has opened trade houses in six cities of China, thus seeking to promote its products on the Chinese market. We are also pleased to see an increase in exports from the People's Republic of China to Azerbaijan," he said.
Azerbaijan has always supported the One China policy, he said.
"Having noted that Azerbaijan attaches great significance to multilateral diplomacy, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan supports the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of countries. Our country, which has suffered from double standards, also does not accept attempts to interfere in our internal affairs," the statement said.
China's support for a higher status of Azerbaijan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was underlined at the meeting (currently, Azerbaijan is a SCO dialogue partner), the statement said. The Chinese presidency of the SCO will highlight the issue next year, it said.
"Xi Jinping invited the Azerbaijani president to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit hosted by China and on a state visit to China. Aliyev gladly accepted the invitation. In turn, the president invited the Chinese president to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan at a convenient time," the statement said.
The heads of state discussed transport and logistic capacities of Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan is investing in this area. An increase in the throughput capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line to 5 million tonnes per year and the transshipment capacity of the Alyat international commercial seaport from 15 million to 25 million tonnes was underlined in that context. The sides touched upon Azerbaijani-Chinese cooperation in the Middle Corridor project and exchanged views on the positive influence of the corridor's digitalization on increasing cargo transportation to the West from Central Asia and from the West to China and Central Asia," the statement said.
Additionally, the heads of state discussed tourism. Azerbaijan has implemented a unilateral visa-free system for Chinese citizens to boost bilateral contacts. Xi said that China would also consider a visa-free system for Azerbaijani citizens for broader interstate and humanitarian contacts.
Aliyev thanked China for supporting Azerbaijan's cooperation with the SCO and BRICS. Azerbaijan will host a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in 2026, he said. The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijani-Chinese cooperation in that context.
