Ankara: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday said Trkiye and Azerbaijan have the closest relations, and no two other nations share the same level of political, economic, energy, connectivity, and people-to-people cooperation. Answering a question from Anadolu's Editor-in-Chief Yusuf Ozhan at the fourth Shusha Global Media Forum, Aliyev stressed relations between Ankara and Baku are also an important element in terms of regional stability and cooperation.

According to Anadolu Agency, Aliyev stated that the Shusha Declaration signed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 15, 2021, elevated relations "to the level of alliance." He emphasized that Trkiye and Azerbaijan are not only brothers and friends but also allies. Aliyev pointed out that shared ethnicity, language, or religion alone does not guarantee close relations, noting that countries with similar backgrounds have fought each other in the past.

Aliyev remarked that the example of Trkiye and Azerbaijan is one that should be examined and followed by neighbors. He suggested that neighbors should behave exactly as Trkiye and Azerbaijan do. Furthermore, Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan's growing role as a regional transit hub, citing increased cargo traffic due to the situation in the Middle East.

He added that Azerbaijan is expanding the capacity of its Caspian Sea commercial port from 15 million to 25 million tons and is building 10 ships to meet rising demand for cargo transportation from and to Europe.