Baku “would like to see the European Union as part of this new transport structure (Zangezur Corridor),” including within the framework of the EU Global Gateway initiative. Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev stated this in an interview with EU Today.
Hajiyev noted that peace between Baku and Yerevan should be “not just the absence of war,” but bring “prosperity and development” and strengthen interdependence between neighbors.
According to him, Armenia will benefit from the launch of the Zangezur corridor, having the opportunity to move “from a dead-end entrance to the status of a transit country.”
Speaking about the war in Ukraine, Hajiyev said that Baku “will not be involved in it.” “Azerbaijan openly states that it is not and will not participate in any military component of this conflict,” he said. At the same time, the presidential aide emphasized that Baku provided assistance to Kyiv in the amount of more than $40 million and “continues the rehabilitation program for Ukrainian children.”
Hajiyev also commented on relations with Russia after the crash of the Azerbaijani airline AZAL. He acknowledged “certain misunderstandings” and “emotions” in the immediate aftermath of the incident, but said Azerbaijan’s concerns were discussed at the meeting in Dushanbe. According to him, Baku demanded four things from Moscow: an official apology, a full investigation, bringing those responsible to justice and compensation. “Once these issues are resolved, we will turn the page on the misunderstanding and continue normal good neighborly relations between the two countries,” he said.