Doha, Qatar: Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, H E Yalchin Rafiyev said relations with Qatar were a top priority for his country, emphasising the deep-rooted ties spanning nearly three decades.
In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, he highlighted the enduring friendship between Qatar and Azerbaijan and the shared commitment to furthering cooperation in various sectors for mutual benefit. “We consider Qatar a friendly and brotherly country. Our relationship goes back to already around 30 years. When considering our political preferences on certain issues, Qatar is always among our top priorities, both in political terms (and economic relations),” he said.
Rafiyev recently visited Qatar where he also delivered a keynote speech at Doha Forum: Youth Edition 2023.
During his visit, Rafiyev also engaged in bilateral talks with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi and discussed the potential for expanding Qatar-Azerbaijan ties in trade and other areas of common interest.
During the interview, while acknowledging the existing strong political ties, Rafiyev expressed the need to elevate economic relations between the two nations.
“I don’t think that for the moment, economic relations are at the desired level, but there is a huge potential, which we will be doing our best to utilise as soon as possible,” he said.
Rafiyev also discussed the opportunities arising from the recent liberation of Azerbaijani territories. “The liberation of Azerbaijani territories opens new opportunities such as on how we can work together to bring Qatari investment to these territories, what we can do better to achieve vibrant trade relations between the two countries.”
On the economic front, Rafiyev outlined specific areas of focus. “We have some areas that are in our minds to focus on, specifically like green energy, smart technologies, and of course, we should also use our comparative advantages of every one of us.”
One tangible step towards deeper cooperation is the establishment of an investment group within the joint commission of Qatar and Azerbaijan. Rafiyev explained, “This investment group will be tasked to prepare some investment projects in both directions.” He hinted that the joint group would be formed following an anticipated visit of Azerbaijan Foreign Minister H E Jeyhun Aziz oglu Bayramov to Qatar in 2024.
Highlighting shared values and a common vision on many global issues, Rafiyev commended Qatar’s international reputation as a mediator in conflicts.
“We very much appreciate Qatar’s international reputation as a mediator in many international conflicts. We are also very much proud of Qatar being in this position because Qatar is our friendly and brotherly country,” he said.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also commended Qatar’s commitment to environmental sustainability, particularly in hosting eco-friendly events. “Qatar has hosted many international events, and all of them were eco-friendly,” he noted.
Speaking about his visit to the Expo 2023 Doha, Rafiyev praised the organisation of the event. “This is one of the best-organised Expos. You must be proud of this achievement. In every pavilion that I visited, the very remarkable element that I’ve seen is all are equally committed to have a green future, to use smart technologies, to have a clean environment, to prefer green energy, and also to prefer recycling industrial chain,” he said.
Turning his attention to people-to-people contacts, Rafiyev emphasised the increasing number of Qatari tourists visiting Azerbaijan. He highlighted the importance of direct flights between the two countries and discussed plans to involve Qatari nationals, especially youth, in international events.
As Azerbaijan undergoes a transformation in its foreign policy, Rafiyev stressed the significance of the Gulf region, with Qatar at the centre of their strategic focus. He said Azerbaijan’s foreign minister is preparing to tour Gulf countries next year.
Expressing concern over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rafiyev called for an end to hostilities and a return to negotiations. He said Azerbaijan, having experienced conflict for about 30 years, advocates for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.
Concluding the interview, Rafiyev emphasised Azerbaijan’s commitment to supporting Palestine, both in its national capacity and as the chair of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). He highlighted Azerbaijan’s participation in relevant international meetings and its significant humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees.
“Our hope is that the conflict will end soon and Azerbaijan, in both its national capacity and in capacity of chair of NAM, has tried to keep the issue of Palestine on the agenda,” he said.
