Azerbaijan Chooses Trade Over War in South Caucasus, Hikmet Hajiyev Tells Jeffrey Sachs

Azerbaijan is seeking to transform the South Caucasus from a region of geopolitical confrontation into a platform for economic cooperation, regional connectivity and lasting peace, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, has said. He made the remarks in Baku during a conversation with American economist Jeffrey Sachs, footage of which was shared on his official X account.

Hajiyev said the region should be transformed from a “battlefield for great powers” into a “marketplace for great powers,” pointing to the 1994 “Contract of the Century” as proof that trade is better than war. He also cited a green energy corridor from the Caspian Sea to Europe’s electricity grid, discussed during a recent visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said Azerbaijan expects 2 GW of additional renewable capacity within a few years, followed by another 8 GW, all available for export.

Linking these ambitions to the peace process with Armenia, he said: “We chose the path of perpetual peace.” Azerbaijan intends to build a regional security architecture capable of withstanding future challenges.