Progress towards peace with Armenia creates new opportunities for the entire region, including stability, connectivity and economic cooperation, Swiss Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis stated in an interview with the state-owned Azertac during his visit to Azerbaijan. Azatutyun writes about this.

In the context of new opportunities, Cassis said: “Azerbaijan is an important partner for Switzerland in the South Caucasus and a key link between Europe and Asia. Its role as a regional hub is growing.”

When asked about the “Middle Corridor” project being developed with the support of Turkey, the minister noted that the geographical position of Azerbaijan makes the country an important link connecting the East and the West.

“Switzerland is interested in the development of the Middle Corridor, as reliable and diversified trade routes are essential for an open and resilient global economy. We see potential for cooperation in the fields of logistics, infrastructure and digitization,” he said.

The “Middle Corridor” was initiated in 2013 by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey. It connects China and Southeast Asia with Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

In the context of diversification, Cassis also spoke about Europe’s energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has become a reliable partner and plays an important role for Europe’s energy security. “Baku helps reduce dependence on a single supplier and supports a more sustainable and diversified energy supply.”

Referring to the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process, Kassis welcomed the progress. He considered the restoration of trade, transport links and other measures aimed at strengthening trust to be encouraging.

“We hope that both sides, building on this progress, will move towards a lasting peace that will benefit the peoples of both countries.”

Kassis mentioned in his speech that he is going to visit Armenia in the near future.

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