Trilateral and multilateral cooperation in the region, in addition to bilateral relations, can yield significant benefits, said Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Hajiyev made these remarks during a panel session titled "The Role of Regional Ownership in a Changing World" held as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He emphasized that Azerbaijan advocates for countries within the region to establish their own order and security architecture.
Reflecting on the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Hajiyev noted that for 30 years, various external parties attempted to dictate solution variants to Baku. "When you take leadership and ownership of your own region, you can identify your true interests and find the right solutions. Others should not create the agenda for us. There are shared responsibilities. There are many brotherly countries in our region, and integration is a necessity," he stated.
The President's Assistant further elaborated that while bilateral relations remain fundamental, trilateral and multilateral formats offer strategic advantages. He specifically highlighted the importance of the relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as existing cooperation frameworks such as Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia and Turkey-Azerbaijan-Iran. Furthermore, Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan intends to utilize the hydrocarbon energy resources of the Caspian Sea for the benefit of the entire region, serving the interests of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and neighboring states to ensure interregional prosperity.
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a high-level gathering of political leaders, diplomats, and academics aimed at addressing global and regional challenges through dialogue. Azerbaijan's participation underscores its growing role as a regional leader and its commitment to the principle of "regional ownership," which posits that regional problems are best solved by the nations of that region rather than through external intervention.
