MP: Nakhchivan's development reflects Azerbaijan's strategic goals

President Ilham Aliyev's interview with Azerbaijan Television during his visit to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was not only a presentation of the work carried out for Nakhchivan's socio-economic development, but also an important set of political messages outlining Azerbaijan's strategic goals for the near and medium term, MP Vasif Gafarov told Report.

According to him, the remarks made in the interview show that Nakhchivan, an integral part of Azerbaijan, is viewed as an important strategic center that expands the country's transport, energy, economic and geopolitical opportunities.

"One of the notable points of the interview was the strengthening of Nakhchivan's security and defense potential. As the president emphasized, Nakhchivan's geographical features require special attention to its security. The creation of the Separate Combined Arms Army, the provision of modern military equipment and the formation of commando forces show that Azerbaijan is pursuing a long-term and systematic policy in this direction. This approach not only ensures Nakhchivan's security, but also serves to strengthen Azerbaijan's military-strategic position in the region," he said.

The MP noted that the special attention paid to Nakhchivan's energy security in the president's interview was no coincidence.

"The implementation of a 300-megawatt thermal power plant, new solar power plants and future renewable energy projects worth hundreds of megawatts demonstrates the goal of turning Nakhchivan not only into a region supplied with energy, but also into an energy-exporting region in the future. The solar energy production potential of 500 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts mentioned by the president further increases Nakhchivan's strategic importance in terms of green energy. In this regard, Nakhchivan's energy policy should be assessed as part of Azerbaijan's overall energy strategy," Gafarov said.

"The existing energy connections of Nakhchivan with Türkiye and Iran, and the future expansion of opportunities toward Europe, may give Azerbaijan's energy diplomacy additional advantages. One of the most important political and strategic messages in the interview concerns the Zangazur Corridor. It is clear from the president's remarks that Azerbaijan does not view this project only as a transport line. The corridor is intended to be formed as a multifunctional regional link that, along with railway and highway connections, could also include electricity, fiber-optic communication and other communication lines in the future. This takes the significance of the Zangazur Corridor beyond an ordinary transport project and turns it into an important element of regional integration," he said.

According to the MP, one point that drew particular attention in the interview was the emphasis that Azerbaijan does not keep its infrastructure projects in the Nakhchivan direction dependent on processes in Armenia.

"The restoration and modernization of the Nakhchivan railway and plans to increase cargo capacity to 15 million tons in the future show that Azerbaijan is pursuing a proactive and forward-looking policy. The president's message that 'we do not want to waste time' expresses the main principle of this policy: Azerbaijan is not a passive waiting party in the implementation of regional projects, but one of the main actors shaping the processes," Gafarov said.

He added that another important point is the prospect of Nakhchivan becoming a major logistics center at the intersection of the East-West and North-South transport corridors.

According to Gafarov, the realization of the Zangazur connection could turn Nakhchivan into an important transit hub linking Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Iran and the wider Eurasian space. This creates serious opportunities for attracting new investment, increasing cargo transportation, creating new jobs and raising economic activity in the region.

The MP said another important direction of the interview was the presentation of Nakhchivan's economic development through concrete projects.

"The creation of the Nakhchivan Industrial Park, the construction of new energy facilities, the implementation of agriculture and irrigation projects, the renewal of road infrastructure, the introduction of modern public transport and the creation of new social facilities serve to diversify the region's economic model. In particular, the creation of the Industrial Park may give a significant impetus to the formation of new production areas and jobs," he said.

Gafarov noted that the state's social policy was also not overlooked.

According to him, the launch of the DOST Center, the creation of new social infrastructure, plans to purchase 217 modern inter-district buses, and the construction and repair of hundreds of kilometers of village roads confirm that Nakhchivan's development is not limited only to macroeconomic indicators. The main goal, he said, is to complement economic development with social welfare growth that people can feel in their daily lives.

The MP also said the consideration of Nakhchivan together with Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur within a single development concept is of particular strategic importance.

According to him, this approach demonstrates the goal of forming the development of Azerbaijan's various regions not as separate projects, but as a single complementary economic and infrastructure system. The parallel development of Nakhchivan, Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur in terms of green energy, transport, logistics and modern governance capabilities appears to be one of the important directions of Azerbaijan's future regional development model.

Gafarov said the most important conclusion from the president's interview is that Nakhchivan's development is not outside Azerbaijan's overall regional strategy.

"On the contrary, Nakhchivan's development is directly linked to the Zangazur Corridor, the East-West and North-South transport routes, green energy projects, as well as the expansion of economic relations with Türkiye, Iran and Europe. In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev's interview can be assessed not so much as an evaluation of Nakhchivan's current situation, but as a conceptual presentation of the role it will play in strengthening Azerbaijan's regional and international economic positions in the future," he said.

The MP added that the views expressed show the continuation of a consistent state policy aimed at preserving Azerbaijan's leading position in regional initiatives, strengthening the country's national security and energy independence, expanding transport opportunities and turning Nakhchivan into a center of new economic opportunities.