Leaders of Azerbaijan, China sign strategic partnership statement
BAKU. April 23 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed a statement on the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership in Beijing on Wednesday.
The document was signed at the end of summit negotiations, a statement on the Azerbaijani presidential website said.
The statement says, in particular, that Baku and Beijing view each other as priority, reliable and mutually advantageous strategic partners and express the readiness for continuous strengthening of mutual political confidence, mutual support and comprehensive cooperation.
Azerbaijan recognizes the existence of one China, views Taiwan as an integral part of the Chinese territory, strongly opposes any form of "Taiwan independence" and supports the Chinese government's reunification efforts, the statement said. In turn, Beijing strongly supported the peace agenda proposed by Azerbaijan and called confrontational geopolitical games counterproductive.
The sides voiced the readiness to start negotiating a free trade agreement to provide high-level institutional guarantees for deeper cooperation in trade and investments, and to develop active cooperation in renewable energy, thus contributing to the energy transition and sustainable socioeconomic development of both states, alongside the joint promotion of a global partnership in green energy.
"China is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan and other countries along the [Middle Corridor] route to jointly establish safe, stable, direct, and China-Europe-China trans-Caspian express routes, and to continuously enhance the convenience of customs clearance and the efficiency of cargo transportation. Both sides are interested in accelerating the negotiation and conclusion of an intergovernmental agreement on international road transportation, improving the level of favorable conditions for road transport between Azerbaijan and China," the statement said.
Baku and Beijing also agreed to strengthen relations and exchanges between law enforcement agencies and security services and to fight drug crime, transborder organized crime and cybersecurity challenges together.
China backed the soonest admission of Azerbaijan to the World Trade Organization, the statement said. "The parties support the promotion of reform of the international financial architecture to better reflect changes in the global economic landscape. The parties advocate for the liberalization and simplification of trade and investment, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, despotism and violations of world trade rules, and jointly defend the multilateral trading system for the sake of mutual prosperity," the statement said.
Azerbaijan supported the Chinese presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and lauded China's practical efforts towards quality development of the SCO. "Azerbaijan states its readiness to actively participate in the SCO Year of Sustainable Development events and to deepen comprehensive cooperation with the member countries of the organization. China supports the upgrading of Azerbaijan's legal status in the SCO," the statement said.
