Georgian analyst says Shusha forum highlights Azerbaijan's strategic vision for South Caucasus

The Shusha Global Media Forum has become an important international platform for presenting Azerbaijan's foreign policy priorities and its strategic vision for peace in the South Caucasus, Georgian analyst, professor and regional secretary of the United Neutral Georgia party Levan Nikoleishvili told Report's Georgian bureau.

According to him, one of the key events of the forum was President Ilham Aliyev's speech, which outlined the main directions of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. Nikoleishvili said that after the settlement of the Karabakh issue, new geopolitical and economic opportunities had opened up for Azerbaijan, becoming one of the main topics of the forum.

He noted that Azerbaijan prioritizes the development of relations with neighboring countries, the strengthening of peace in the South Caucasus and the expansion of economic cooperation. In his view, Azerbaijan's energy and infrastructure projects contribute to the development of the entire region, including Georgia and Armenia.

"The work carried out shows that Azerbaijan seeks to build the region's development on the principles of cooperation and mutual benefit. The importance of the Shusha forum also lies in the fact that the international community can directly see Azerbaijan's policy through the speech of its leadership," the analyst said.

Nikoleishvili added that Azerbaijan's main goal is to expand economic and energy projects, which helps strengthen trust and cooperation between states and contributes to regional stability.

He also criticized the approach of some European Union institutions and politicians toward the South Caucasus, saying statements by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and several European politicians raise questions about their interest in strengthening peace in the region.

The analyst said a similar approach could be seen in relation to Georgia. Although the country has EU candidate status, it also faces various sanctions mechanisms, which, in his view, hinder its development and create the impression that the goal is not to support Georgia but to maintain influence over it.

Nikoleishvili said similar approaches are also visible toward Armenia, where some external forces are trying to push the country along a certain political path, which could lead to new problems in the future.

According to him, Azerbaijan also faces a policy in which friendship is shown outwardly, while the country's national interests are not actually taken into account.

"Those who misjudge Azerbaijan's geopolitical position, energy resources and economic potential are trying to impose their own policy on the country. However, any attempts that run counter to Azerbaijan's national interests will be unsuccessful," the analyst said.

He added that such approaches are linked either to a misunderstanding of President Ilham Aliyev's role for Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus as a whole, or to an incorrect assessment of the history, mentality and national values of the Azerbaijani people.

"The Azerbaijani people will never give up their sovereignty and will not act on the instructions of any state, especially as a country with its own economic opportunities and resources," Nikoleishvili said.