As leaders and senior officials from across Asia gather in Baku
for the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Azerbaijan is using
the occasion to demonstrate the growing importance of its
diplomacy. The meetings surrounding the summit reflect Baku’s
efforts to deepen partnerships, strengthen its position in Central
Asia and establish itself as a platform for dialogue in a region
shaped by competing geopolitical interests.
President Ilham Aliyev’s meetings with visiting leaders have
provided a particularly clear illustration of this approach. His
discussions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Chinese Foreign
Minister Wang Yi, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Vietnamese
Vice-President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, alongside engagement with other
visiting delegations, underline the breadth of Azerbaijan’s
diplomatic relationships. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and
other senior representatives have also travelled to Baku for the
summit.
The significance lies not simply in the number of dignitaries
attending, but in the different interests they represent. Israel,
China, Russia, India, Iran, Türkiye and the Central Asian states
occupy distinct positions in the international system. So, a
question may be put forward: what brings it to Azerbaijan? Bringing
representatives of such countries together allows Azerbaijan to
encourage dialogue and pursue cooperation without requiring its
partners to abandon their separate foreign policy priorities.
Aliyev’s meeting with Herzog highlighted bilateral relations and
wider regional and international developments. His discussions with
Wang Yi carried particular economic significance. Both sides
emphasised the development of the strategic partnership between
Azerbaijan and China, while the Chinese foreign minister recognised
Azerbaijan’s important role along the Middle Corridor. Aliyev also
highlighted the opportunities for cooperation in transport and
renewable energy.
These conversations point to a broader strategic calculation.
Azerbaijan’s importance is not limited to its position between the
Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. It lies in the country’s ability to
connect political relationships with transport infrastructure,
energy cooperation and access to international markets.
The Middle Corridor, linking China and Central Asia across the
Caspian Sea and through the South Caucasus towards Türkiye and
Europe, has become increasingly relevant as governments seek to
diversify trade routes. Azerbaijan’s ports, railways and
connections with Georgia and Türkiye place it at a critical
junction in this network. Its role is particularly important for
Central Asian countries seeking more direct access to markets
further west.
And there is much to be said about the relations between
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Closer cooperation between Baku and
Tashkent can strengthen transport links, expand trade and create
opportunities for joint investment. Azerbaijan’s engagement with
Tajikistan and other Central Asian partners similarly reinforces
its position within a wider regional network. These relationships
are becoming more significant as Central Asian states seek to
broaden their international partnerships and develop alternative
routes for exports.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan is a key energy supplier to European
markets, a transit country between Central Asia and Europe and an
important participant in discussions about regional connectivity.
The development of transport links through the region could create
economic incentives for cooperation, although political
disagreements and unresolved security questions remain obstacles,
and this is also where Azerbaijan’s peacebuilding agenda matters.
The normalisation of relations with Armenia remains essential to a
more stable South Caucasus. Sustainable peace would create
opportunities to reopen transport connections, expand regional
trade and reduce the strategic costs of confrontation. Azerbaijan’s
ability to bring international partners together can support this
wider objective, although progress ultimately depends on political
agreements and their implementation.
CICA provides a suitable setting for connecting these ambitions.
Its agenda includes confidence-building, transport connectivity,
digitalisation and sustainable development. Azerbaijan’s
chairmanship has sought to advance practical cooperation while
strengthening the organisation’s institutional foundations.
However, the summit’s value will be measured by what follows the
meetings. Diplomatic visibility does not automatically produce
investment, functioning transport corridors or lasting peace. These
require sustained negotiations, coordinated infrastructure
development and reliable commitments.
Besides, the CICA summit brings these roles into focus. Its
lasting significance will depend on whether the conversations held
in Baku help build stronger partnerships and whether Azerbaijan can
translate its strategic position into greater connectivity and
stability across the South Caucasus and Central Asia.