China and Azerbaijan have upgraded bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Astana on Wednesday.
The two leaders met in the Kazakh capital ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is set to be held Thursday.
During his meeting with Aliyev, Xi noted that China and Azerbaijan are good friends who treat each other with sincerity and mutual trust, and are good partners on the grounds of equality and mutual benefits.
He said bilateral relations have seen sound and steady growth, while cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results with richer strategic connotations.
Xi said that the two countries are standing at a new starting point in their relationship and should mutually support each other in order to further benefit the people of both sides.
Xi underlined that China firmly supports Azerbaijan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and pursuing a successful development path tailored to its national realities.
The Chinese president pointed out that the two sides should promote the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, deepen cooperation in fields including trade, investment, oil and gas, and photovoltaics, enhance connectivity, develop the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, and ensure the healthy and stable operation of the China-Europe Railway Express.
He also called for more exchanges across various fields to cement public support for friendly China-Azerbaijan relations.
Xi said China supports Azerbaijan in hosting the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November, and stands ready to work with Azerbaijan in jointly advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, and to promote world peace, stability and development.
For his part, Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and China are good partners. The two countries have maintained close exchanges at various departments and levels, witnessed increasing bilateral trade volume, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in international organizations, he said.
The two sides jointly announced the establishment of the Azerbaijan-China strategic partnership in a joint statement, which is of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, he said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports China in achieving national reunification, which is the trend of history and no force can stop it.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan looks forward to strengthening unity and cooperation with China, and enhancing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, new energy, culture and other areas within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation.
He said Azerbaijan stands ready to work closely with China within the SCO and other frameworks, to jointly oppose external interference and maintain regional security and stability. The two sides released a joint statement on the upgrade of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, and signed cooperation agreements regarding Belt and Road cooperation, connectivity and various other fields.
Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership
Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is not a military-political bloc, but instead remains open to member states for dialogue and further cooperation, fostering a spirit of partnership in the region, said Deputy Secretary-General Nurlan Yermykbayev in Kazakhastan’s capital Astana.
Yermykbayev made the remarks days ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO to be held in Astana on Thursday.
“We’re optimistic about the prospects of the SCO and are aware that geopolitical and geo-economic landscapes are changing, as new types of relations are being fostered. A multipolar world based on the principle of equality is gradually taking shape. We hold the vision based on the security principles featuring unity and indivisibility, and respect for the diversity of civilizations and cultures in the SCO region,” he said.
According to Yermykbayev, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind carries great significance and creates synergy within the SCO to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among member states.
“The SCO member states speak highly of and support the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by President Xi Jinping. It was fully affirmed at the New Delhi [SCO] Summit last year. All attendees agreed to reach a common vision on it and contribute to the building of a new type of international relations. This initiative is in line with the goals and tasks of the SCO and underlines the importance of solidarity and collaboration to achieve shared goals. The SCO is not a military-political bloc, nor does it belong to any alliance of blocs. It is open for dialogue to everyone, rather than targeting anyone,” Yermykbayev said.
SCO fosters partnership through open dialogue with member states: deputy general
