Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of the Justice, Law, Democracy (AHD) Party and a member of parliament, answered questions from the party’s press service.
Xalqcəbhəsi.az presents the interview:
– Gudrat bey, how do you assess the results of the President’s visit to Germany?
– The government’s course of friendship and cooperation with neighbors, as well as a balanced foreign policy, meets national interests. Although we are Eastern in terms of mentality, the geography where we are located is considered European. Therefore, we must cooperate with European states and institutions. Mutual steps must be taken to reduce tension in relations. Our main trading partners are European countries. We mainly sell our main export products, oil and gas, to them. The documents signed with Germany are very important. We should strive for the agreements signed with the USA and Germany to pave the way for bringing new technologies to Azerbaijan and attracting investments to our country. Our foreign relations should serve security, the protection of human rights and freedoms, and the development of our economy, science, and education. If we want the well-being and security of our people, we must develop industry and agriculture so that our economy can emerge from the current stagnation and grow. The State Oil Fund should support the country’s long-term socio-economic development. For this, the fund’s assets should be placed not only in foreign financial markets but also within the country. We must revitalize our economy ourselves so that foreign investors can see the country’s development prospects and invest in our country. If we want different results, we must behave differently and make different decisions than we do now. Important steps should be taken to ensure the inviolability of property, and at least 10 billion dollars from the Oil Fund’s resources should be invested in our economy.
– Do you expect different decisions to be made?
– According to what I have heard from YAP members, a new development strategy may be announced, major reforms may be initiated, and personnel changes may be carried out at their upcoming congress in the autumn. Honestly, reforms have also become a necessity that everyone now accepts. I believe that changes for the better will happen in our country.
– Gudrat bey, our two major neighbors are in a state of war, and these wars are not expected to end anytime soon. How can these wars affect Azerbaijan from now on?
– The worst thing is that people all over the world are getting used to wars. Everyone is inclined to settle relations by using force. This promises nothing good for humanity. The pain and suffering of the Second World War have already been forgotten. Today, approximately 645 million people in the world suffer from hunger. This is about 7.8% of the world’s population. According to the World Bank’s updated data for 2025, approximately 808–838 million people live in extreme poverty with an income of less than 3 US dollars per day. Approximately 2.69 billion people cannot afford the food necessary for a healthy diet. Although this is different from starving, it is a serious problem in terms of food security. In such a situation, states spend trillions of dollars on armaments. Both compassion and predatory instincts are inherent in human nature. Unfortunately, the predatory instinct is currently strengthening. So far, the government has been successfully keeping Azerbaijan out of these conflicts. Let us hope that we will be able to turn the most difficult conditions into a new opportunity. If Russia and Iran abandon maximalism and show a wiser approach to conflicts, the wars can be ended. The continuation of wars causes deprivation for people and puts the entire region face-to-face with the threat of war. Azerbaijan must be ready for all challenges. For this, we need national unity and a rapidly growing free market economy.