Hikmat Hajiyev: Azerbaijan views the “Middle Corridor” as intercultural dialogue

Azerbaijan sees the “Middle Corridor” not merely as a transportation route, but more broadly as a form of intercultural dialogue, stated Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, during his speech at the panel discussion titled “The Middle Corridor: A New Geopolitical and Economic Lifeline?” held as part of the GLOBSEC Forum 2025 in Prague.

Hajiyev emphasized that roads have always been part of Azerbaijan’s understanding of culture and civilization, and the country has historically been an active participant in this dialogue due to its location along the Silk Road. He noted that while Azerbaijan’s geographic position at the intersection of East-West and North-South routes is important, the real achievement lies in the practical steps taken since independence to realize this potential: “As a landlocked country, we have worked to turn that limitation into an advantage.”

He stated that Azerbaijan’s efforts in this direction span several key areas. First, energy corridors were established through projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and others, linking the Caspian Sea with the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Azerbaijan has also built road networks and highways within the country that are connected to neighboring states.

Hajiyev highlighted that the Caspian Sea is viewed not as a dividing line but as a connecting bridge, and Azerbaijan has developed maritime cooperation with Central Asian countries. Moreover, a concept of an “Air Silk Road” has been developed, and Azerbaijan currently operates nine international airports.

He also spoke about the “Digital Silk Road” initiative, stating that Azerbaijan, together with Kazakhstani partners, is building a high-speed internet connection across the Eurasian continent via the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, work is underway on a “Green Energy Corridor” to deliver the renewable energy potential of the Caspian region to Europe via the Black Sea.

“All of these initiatives are part of Azerbaijan’s strategic contribution to East-West connectivity and the overall concept of connectivity,” Hikmat Hajiyev concluded.