The world order evokes extremely pessimistic impressions. We see a problematic situation, and long-lasting crises and conflicts not only remain unresolved but actually become exacerbated due to some forces. Under such circumstances, a saying comes to mind – nature abhors a vacuum.

In a recent interview with journalists of Azerbaijani TV channels, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his attitude to this situation. Answering the question: “How would you estimate the role of Azerbaijan in the newly emerging socioeconomic and global configuration?”, he said:

“The primary direction and goal of our foreign policy are to create a more favorable environment for our country at the international level so that the processes within the country remain in a positive course. There have been no risks or threats in Azerbaijan for many years. All possible risks and threats are formed outside our borders. To protect ourselves from those threats, foreign and military policy must play a role. Therefore, our policy has always been focused on cooperation. If someone asked us for help, we tried to help and make more friends. Of course, we had to convince the international community about the need to resolve the Karabakh issue. Because the Armenian propaganda had been working against us for many years, and the distorted assumption about the conflict had already taken root. It was not easy to shatter it.

Over the years, we found that we were gaining more respect for our policies. The world's leading forces have already accepted that we are right about the Karabakh issue. At the same time, in partnership with us, both bilaterally and multilaterally, they saw that we conduct ourselves with dignity and keep our promises, and respect and sympathy for us have increased. I see our election as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement as an outcome. Because there are countries within that body that are not exactly friends with each other, they unanimously supported Azerbaijan twice – both when we were elected, and our chairmanship was extended. This platform allowed us to show our intentions and policies, especially during the COVID era. International events, including the Summit, the organization of a Special Session of the UN General Assembly, and extending financial and humanitarian aid to more than 80 countries – Azerbaijan did all of that. I can say that not many countries in the world can do as much as we do. We are doing this with no charge – they should get to know us better, support us, and stand beside us in our time of need. That was precisely what happened, and we have already talked about it.

And now, especially after the Russia-Ukraine War, creating a new order is inevitable; there is no other option. Because traditional institutions do not function effectively and will not do so in the future. Azerbaijan changed after the Karabakh War, and so did the world after the Russia-Ukraine War. These two changes are almost parallel processes in terms of time. How we see ourselves in this new world, where we see ourselves, of course, we must define it very precisely because we should always be guided by reality and not set unrealistic goals. We should know and strengthen our position in the region and the world. Again, the primary issue is to reduce external risks to zero, which we have succeeded in doing so, and the steps we are taking today, the steps we are discussing, are calculated precisely for this.

As for the UN, our attitude towards the UN is now evident. Failure to implement four well-known resolutions of the Security Council certainly, to put it mildly, did not add value to the reputation of this organization. But in the current conditions, we and many other countries insist that serious reforms are required. In particular, the composition of the Security Council should be revised. I also support this idea. The format of the Security Council is outdated, and history shows it. It was created 80 years ago, after World War Two. Now, World War Three is raging, regardless of what some say. If we look at the number of countries that joined this conflict, we will see that it was actually World War Three. But it is conducted in a new way, different from World War One and World War Two.

Eighty years have passed. Therefore, of course, there should be new members of the Security Council. I believe a permanent place must be reserved for a Muslim country, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation must determine it. It must choose a country based on a two or three-year rotation principle. One place should be given to the Non-Aligned Movement and the country holding its chairmanship – I am not talking about Azerbaijan because our chairmanship ends this year. The country holding the chair should be in that permanent place. If the veto right remains, those two new members should be granted the right of veto because the number of countries in the Non-Aligned Movement is 120. The world is polarized, and the conflict deepens. The abyss between the West and Russia will deepen. This is how I see it. Once the war is over, its outcome will undoubtedly make an impact. But this conflict and mistrust is a far-reaching process. Of course, this space cannot remain a vacuum. Who can be the center of power here? I think it could be a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

We did much work on the institutionalization of the Non-Aligned Movement – a parliamentary platform and a Youth Network were created. Our actions targeted that because this body has potential; it needed leadership. I believe that all countries have seen this leadership in the example of Azerbaijan, and the policy we set should be continued by those who follow. In other words, we should not allow the Non-Aligned Movement to diminish itself to the previous level. Let us be honest - it was not treated with respect anywhere”.

At the end of his interview, President Ilham Aliyev added: 

“Of course, we should choose the right place for our country. As I said, we should not set a goal driven by unrealistic dreams. Our real interests must be served. We have opportunities to secure our political, economic, military and diplomatic interests. We use our strength with great caution. Long-distance runners usually set their pace to finish first, and we are a pacer, but we also throw in a sprint when needed”.