Azernews.Az

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Azerbaijan’s participation in the Davos Forum held on 20-24 January will further strengthen Azerbaijan’s integration, Malik Ayub Sumbal, geopolitical analyst, commentator and award-winning journalist said in an interview with Azernews.

Sumbal noted that Azerbaijan's active participation in Davos is beneficial for all stakeholders.

Azerbaijan is the leading country in the South Caucasus, has an impressive economic growth and is positioned in an ideal position among the CIS countries.

Sumbal believe that Baku is a good place to open the World Economic Forum’s regional center as Azerbaijan is the center of many activities and has great potential to attract international attention.

"There are already a number of mega international events taking place in Azerbaijan such as Baku Forum. The WEF regional center would open a new chapter for Azerbaijan and it would be highly beneficial," Sumbal concluded.

Founder of the PolitRUS expert-analytical network Vitaly Arkov said that “the Davos Forum is a good additional opportunity, for example, to increase the recognition of the country and its investment potential. At the same time, to focus on the development of direct relations based on their national interests.”

Arkov believes that today, the Davos Forum is increasingly replacing the UN General Assembly, all the more so since the influence of the latter on world processes has practically came down to zero, and the resolutions adopted are declarative and almost never implemented.

Arkov however noted that in recent years, the excessive politicization of this event has become increasingly noticeable.

"It is clear that economics and politics are historically inextricably linked, and the former is almost always in the basis of the events of the latter," he added.

As for the bilateral Azerbaijani-Russian ties, Arkov expressed confidence that mediators are not needed in relations.

"Moreover, these relations are at such a high and trusting level (as, by the way, Azerbaijani-Turkish) that Baku played an important role in the reconciliation of Moscow and Ankara after the well-known tragic events on the Syrian-Turkish border with the Russian military aircraft," Arkov said.

He mentioned that at the official level, these relations are called a strategic partnership.

"In my opinion, Azerbaijan and Russia are already allies in many ways, and the peoples of the two countries are connected by strong, long friendship and numerous happy interethnic marriages," he concluded.

Another political scientist from Russia Andrei Nikulin said that Europe seems to be main trading partner of Azerbaijan and Russia, since the EU buys raw materials from both countries and provides the necessary investments, technologies and high-tech products.

Trade and integration between Azerbaijan Russia is similar to Soviet-era chains, where grain, metals, timber and engineering products are coming from Russia, while fruits and vegetables, as well as oil products from Azerbaijan.

Nikulin considers that common past helps trade relations, as well as a powerful Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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