Azernews.Az

By Aziz Gasimov

Within the framework of the official visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, to China, the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the brother-city relationship between the city of Nakhchivan and Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, holds significant political, economic, and cultural importance. This notable event can be regarded as an important step in deepening the existing strategic cooperation between China and Azerbaijan at the local level.

The geopolitical position of Nakhchivan, located at the borders of Iran, Türkiye, and Armenia, makes it an important transit and connectivity centre in the Caucasus. At the same time, Urumqi, as the central city of western China, holds a special place in the "Belt and Road" initiative, serving as a key gateway to Central Asia. In this context, the establishment of official relations between the two cities lays the foundation for building of new opportunities in transportation, trade, and cultural exchange.
As part of the Nakhchivan-Urumqi brother-city relationship, there are vast opportunities for joint projects. This cooperation can be not only economic but also humanitarian in nature. For example, through student and faculty exchanges between higher education institutions, joint scientific research initiatives, the teaching of the Chinese language, and cultural events such as cultural days, mutual cooperation between the two regions can be strengthened.

On the other hand, when these relations are evaluated in a broader regional context and linked to strategic transportation projects such as the Zangezur Corridor, the geoeconomic significance of the "brotherhood" increases. In light of China's support for the Central Corridor and its interest in the Zangezur route, the bridge established between Urumqi and Nakhchivan could enable the formation of a new logistical route along this corridor. This route could become part of a major transportation network following the Beijing–Urumqi–Nakhchivan–Turkey–Europe sequence.

At the same time, the cultural affinity between Uyghur and Azerbaijani Turks also strengthens the spiritual foundations of this cooperation. In its approach to the Uyghur issue, Azerbaijan maintains a thoughtful and balanced stance within the framework of its partnership with China, which positively impacts the continuation of cooperation between the two countries.

In conclusion, the brother-city ties established between Nakhchivan and Urumqi carry strategic significance not only for bilateral relations between the two cities but also for advancing China–Azerbaijan relations on a broader and more dynamic platform. Should this initiative be consistently transformed into concrete projects, Nakhchivan has the potential to become one of the key regional partners of China. In turn, this would further reinforce Azerbaijan’s position on the global transportation map as well.

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Aziz Gasimov isa member of the Nakhchivan Supreme Assembly (Parliament).