There is no room for coincidence in high politics. Even events that seem accidental at first glance can, over time, become unforgettable symbols of a grand geopolitical trajectory. One of the important qualities inherent only to influential and great politicians is that even a small episode that occurs during any event they attend can eventually become a sign of high politics. If we look at the political experience of world states, as well as the biographies of prominent figures whose names have gone down in human history, we can find thousands of facts that confirm the aforementioned determination.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization events held in the Kyrgyz Republic these days are in the spotlight of the international community. The world press and analysts are searching for the meanings of the hidden messages voiced during the meetings and events within the framework of the event. Each party participating in such important geopolitical events protects its national interests and tries to demonstrate the status it claims in the system of international relations. We also know very well from the history of international relations that sometimes the course of a single event can lead to the resolution of issues that have not been solved for many years.
In the context of the above, we can confidently assume that President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the mentioned event, as well as each of the meetings organized within the framework of the event, has a political purpose. The world community already knows very well that Azerbaijan’s participation in any international platform is never accidental, and its Leader never voices any random opinion just to “please” the international conjuncture. Yes, such an approach is a demonstration of political will and a principled position.
There will still be much talk and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of articles written about the meeting organized between President Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, on August 31 within the framework of the mentioned event. Of course, politicians from Azerbaijan and Iran will first try to interpret the meeting in question through the prism of their states’ interests, and it is not difficult to understand such attempts. However, considering the content of the event and having witnessed President Ilham Aliyev’s successful steps as a strategist many times over the past period, we can easily assume that the meeting in question is aimed more at the world community than at the domestic audience of Azerbaijan and Iran. Therefore, in this short article that invites the reader to think, let us try to focus not on the words spoken during the meeting, but on the scene we witnessed.
The tableau created during the meeting is not only magnificent but truly characteristic only of great politicians. Yes, those who offered “Borjomi” instead of “Istisu” to the President of Iran wanted to spoil an important geopolitical tableau with such a cheap provocation. However, President Ilham Aliyev’s strategic move once again disarmed the rogue attempts. The fact that President Masoud Pezeshkian preferred Kalbajar’s “Istisu” water at the suggestion of the head of state means that the era of our region being used as a geopolitical tool by other states is over.
If we move a little away from such “minor” details that distract us from strategic goals, we can see a promising and magnificent geopolitical tableau. In this conditional tableau, we can see a scene that inspires hearts that love their people and pleases eyes that look at our state as a friend. The main lines that make the tableau magnificent: the heartwarming sincerity of the two heads of state despite all the provocations experienced; the presence of Karabakh’s “Istisu”, as well as Nakhchivan’s “Badamli” and “Sirab” waters on the table together, which are symbols of the Victory and the unified geopolitical and geoeconomic area created as a result of the Victory; the fact that the meeting of the two heads of state was organized against the background of a painting dedicated to the hunting ceremony of Turkic peoples.
The political messages of the scenes we listed are as follows: the sincerity between the two heads of state cannot be used by a third state with the intention of pitting Iran and Azerbaijan against each other; no mediator is needed to maintain reliable relations between Iran and Azerbaijan; the unity of the Turkic world is becoming a new geopolitical reality of the modern international relations system, and this unity can tame all tricks. Yes, the word “trick” was not chosen by accident. This is because the picture hanging on the wall of the room where the meeting in question was held is dedicated to the ceremony of Turkic peoples hunting foxes, usually with birds of prey. The messages are clear and the intentions are obvious: there is no room for “foxes” in the new geopolitical reality being built.
Politoloq Asif Adil