Baku Strengthens Ties with Southeast Asia - Analytics

The other day, Baku became the venue for meetings with representatives of the leadership of three Southeast Asian states at once, which undoubtedly testifies to the growing interest of these countries in cooperation with Azerbaijan, writes the newspaper "Caspiy".

On October 12, negotiations were held between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Manet, on October 13 - with President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, and on October 14 - with Vice President of Vietnam Vo Thi Anh Xuan. Although the common occasion for the trips was participation in the upcoming summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the content of the bilateral meetings nonetheless shows that ASEAN countries are increasingly viewing Azerbaijan as a highly promising partner in trade, investment, and transport projects beyond their own region.

This interest is based on long-standing ties. As far back as the Soviet period, specialists from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia studied at Azerbaijani universities, and the leaders of these states maintained relations with national leader Heydar Aliyev. Today, historical contacts are supplemented by practical matters.

Cambodia: political tradition

In this regard, Hun Manet's visit is illustrative. His father, then-Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, visited Azerbaijan back in 2014, and the current trip continued the political tradition, although friendly ties have not yet been backed by significant volumes of trade and investment. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev identified among the obstacles that need to be overcome the distance and insufficient awareness of entrepreneurs about each other's opportunities.

To this end, the parties signed a framework agreement on trade and economic cooperation and an agreement on the elimination of double taxation. Another memorandum linked ADA University with the Cambodian Institute of Diplomacy. A joint working group was established, which will deal with practical issues of trade and investment. A business forum with the participation of about 100 entrepreneurs made it possible to complement the leaders' negotiations with direct contacts between companies.

The Cambodian side presented its capabilities. Hun Manet reminded about investment incentives, including tax benefits for up to 12 years. For Azerbaijani business, Cambodia could become a place to set up production facilities with subsequent access to neighboring markets. Baku, in turn, offered to use its own industrial capabilities and the Alat free economic zone near the international trade port.

However, Cambodia's interest goes far beyond the economy. It also encompasses areas of military-technical cooperation, the implementation of the