President: Azerbaijan strengthens its role as a key transport hub

Azerbaijan continues to strive for inclusive and sustainable development. Over the past two decades, our economy has grown nearly fourfold, while poverty and unemployment rates have decreased to approximately 5 percent. Significant investments in social protection and infrastructure have improved the well-being of our population, which currently exceeds 10 million people.

As reported by AZERTAC, this is stated in the address of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the participants of the 82nd session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The address of the head of state notes that Azerbaijan has also achieved significant progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals by integrating the 2030 Agenda into national development strategies, making advances in poverty reduction, education and healthcare development, as well as regularly presenting Voluntary National Reviews, which reflects our firm commitment to the principle of "leaving no one behind."

"Furthermore, Azerbaijan is strengthening its role as a key transport hub. In the current geopolitical conditions, the importance of the Middle Corridor is growing. The Zangezur corridor will further enhance regional transport connectivity by linking Asia and Europe and contributing to the expansion of transport, energy, and digital networks, which is fully in line with ESCAP priorities.

Azerbaijan continues to play a reliable role in ensuring energy security, contributing to stable and diversified energy supplies across various regions.

The end of the conflict has also created new opportunities for expanding Azerbaijan's international engagement. Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, its accession to the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation, its admission to the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, as well as the successful hosting of COP29 reflect the growing confidence of the international community in Azerbaijan's foreign policy," the address of President Ilham Aliyev emphasizes.