Based on realities, Aliyev intends to strengthen Azerbaijan`s place in the world in 2023

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev outlined the country's foreign and domestic policy for 2023 in an interview with several Azerbaijani TV channels. He singled out foreign policy as a priority because the influence of various geopolitical factors on the development of the country and its stability depends on it. Aliyev calls the Russian-Ukrainian war the pivotal moment in the turn of world history, which already last year turned the usual course of events in international life.

We must be based on realities, know our place in the world and strengthen our positions, Aliyev said, while noting the main areas where Azerbaijan has become in demand in European affairs - this is energy security, logistics, where the West is given the main place to the middle corridor, and Russia to the route North-South, where the pain point is the Zangezur corridor, blocked by Armenia.

In these new geopolitical conditions Aliyev sees his main role in the settlement of relations with Armenia, where the strategic tasks are the conclusion of a peace treaty by Yerevan, the productive use of US and Russian mediation. He stated that France, by its partisan actions on the eve, during and after the 44-day war, excluded itself from the peace process, which was previously managed by the OSCE Minsk Group. In general, Aliyev made it clear that Azerbaijan does not want Europe to participate in this issue. He expressed dissatisfaction with Europe's one-sided approach to the conflict, citing the example of how the EU and the OSCE send an observation mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border without the consent of Azerbaijan.

Aliyev sees the further development of the process of resolving the long-term conflict with Armenia in the context of actively strengthening the army, the country's economic potential, the internal stability of society and strengthening its position on the world stage. He is ready for constructive negotiations with Yerevan, but at the same time stated that, in response to Yerevan’s claims, he supported the Western Azerbaijanis deported in the past (immigrants of the former Azerbaijani Erivan Khanate - present-day Armenia) in their desire to return to their historical homes.

In his determination and confidence to resolve the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Aliyev relies on the growing state revenues, which have shown the dynamics of take-off, spurred on by the global energy crisis, or Europe’s refusal of Russian energy carriers.

Thanks to rising energy prices, Azerbaijan's GDP in 2022 rose to $80 billion from $54.6 billion in 2021, foreign trade grew from $22 billion in 2021 to $50 billion with a positive balance of up to $25 billion. External debt decreased from $16.9 billion to less than $7 billion. In relation to GDP at the beginning of 2022 the debt was 17.5%, and the end of last year it fell to 9.5%.

The head of state plans to pay special attention to reducing the social burden on the population due to rising prices for food and non-food products. Before the new year, the president ordered to increase the minimum pensions by 16.7% to 280 manats and salaries by 12.5 to 345 manats, at the same time noting that this is still not enough. In a conversation with journalists, he acknowledged the country's dependence on imports, and, as in previous years, once again put the increase in import substitution at the forefront.

The interview did not touch upon the issues of violation of human rights, civil liberties, corruption, and other negatives that hurt the Azerbaijani state and society. The journalists and the president avoided this topic, veiling it with the problem of external threats and concern for their daily bread.