New horizons emerge in strengthening Azerbaijan, Syria bilateral ties

Ousting the Assad regime can open new horizons between Azerbaijan and Syria. Although the nations of the two countries share a common culture and religion, Baku has not built a strong relationship with Assad's Syria, due to the pro-Armenian and pro-Iranian politics of the last. Even during the 44-day War, Bashar Al Assad's pro-Armenian speeches irritated many in Azerbaijan. However, Baku tried its best not to damage the relations with the fraternal nation of Syria. Even on 7–18 December 2015, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Jordan distributed humanitarian aid to 400 Syrian families settled in the said country.

However, all the above is history now. At last, the civil war which lasted 13 years and devastated Syria put an end to the 53-year Assad dicta. Now the Syrian people are trying to heal the wounds caused by the civil war and to create their bright future. Realities on the field uncovers opportunities from which can the both nations benefit.

Like Syria, Azerbaijan suffered devastation caused by the war. As is known, Armenia occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan and levelled to ground many buildings in the formerly occupied territories. Azerbaijan liberated these territories in 2020 and launched restoration and reconstruction works in the said territories. In this regard, Azerbaijan can assist Syria in rising from the ashes. Currently, many Azerbaijani construction companies operate in Garabagh and worldwide. These companies can take part in construction work in Syria. Azerbaijani companies could participate in reconstruction projects, such as rebuilding infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, and roads.

Secondly, as is known, Azerbaijan is an energy country. Crude oil and natural gas are the main items in Azerbaijan’s exports. Today, Azerbaijan provides 12 countries with natural gas, and Syria could be 13th among the others. It is worth noting that Syria was one of the first countries that expressed interest in Azerbaijani gas when the country started to export. In 2009, the two countries signed an agreement through which Azerbaijan should have supplied Syria with 1-1.5 billion cubic meters of gas. However, regional and global events hindered the project. Today, Azerbaijan exports its gas through the TAP pipeline which traverses Turkiye and Syria and this is one of the strategic pipelines that facilitates imports of the Azerbaijani natural gas. Strengthening energy ties could lead to long-term contracts between the two countries and in this case, Syria will enjoy supplying its population with cheap energy and boosting its industry. This will also create an opportunity for Azerbaijan to increase its revenue.

Moreover, mine clearance and removing unexploded ordnances (UXOs) are other fields in which Syria can enjoy Azerbaijani assistance. As a war-torn country, Azerbaijan relies on its experience and knows that mines and UXOs not only harm people but also hinder the development of countries. Needless to say, currently these problems stand paramount in Syria's agenda. Because Azerbaijan suffered from landmine problems after both Garabagh wars and still suffers from their repercussions and the worst legacy - the landmines.

Today, Azerbaijan is considered one of the most mine-polluted countries in the world. Every year, thousands of hectares of areas are demined and cleaned from UXOs and handed over to the population. In this regard, Azerbaijani companies with extensive experience can provide their hands as well. Azerbaijan has developed considerable expertise in mine action, having dealt with extensive landmine contamination in its own territory. The Azerbaijani National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have established a Center for Excellence for mine action training in Azerbaijan. This centre can serve as a platform for exchanging demining experiences and technologies with other countries, including Syria.

Azerbaijan companies can provide direct humanitarian assistance by deploying demining teams to Syria. This would involve training local personnel, providing equipment, and conducting demining operations in affected areas.

The agriculture sector is one of the fields in which Azerbaijan has an upper hand and the two countries can benefit from it. The decade-long conflict was a strong blow to Syrian agriculture. The population in rural areas shrunk by 50 per cent between 2011 and 2016, leading to heavy losses in crop and livestock production, as well as the destruction of irrigation systems, and damage to large agricultural areas.

On the contrary, agriculture is the most rapidly growing sector in Azerbaijan. Production and export of fruits and vegetables have increased by several for the past 30 years. For example, the export of fruits increased by 378 times and the export of vegetables skyrocketed by 20 times for 30 years in Azerbaijan. Taking into account the size of the country Azerbaijan exports twice more vegetables and fruits in comparison with Iran and Turkiye.

Thus, with the fall of the Assad regime in the country, new horizons have emerged for the development of relations between the two countries in various fields. This will give impetus to closing the dark page and opening the next page for a new era.