Antalya: On April 17, a panel session titled ‘The Role of Regional Ownership in a Transforming World’ was held as part of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The session was attended by prominent figures including F©lix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ndayishimiye Evariste, Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Republic of Burundi; Cevdet Yilmaz, Vice President of the Republic of Trkiye; Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration; and F©lix Ulloa Jr., Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Cevdet Yilmaz emphasized Trkiye’s preference for diplomacy over conflict and stability over insecurity. He highlighted Trkiye’s active participation in regional cooperation frameworks, being a NATO member, an EU candidate country, and supporting initiatives like the Organization of Turkic States. Yilmaz outlined two paths-instability and loss versus stability through diplomacy-and stressed Trkiye’s commitment to maintaining open communication channels and expanding cooperation across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to improve global conditions.
Hikmet Hajiyev highlighted energy projects initiated by Azerbaijan that contribute to global energy security and regional interests. He stressed the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as a significant regional achievement, with Azerbaijan restoring its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Hajiyev emphasized regional ownership as a core principle for Azerbaijan, advocating for local solutions to regional challenges through partnerships within the region, and underscored the importance of genuine common responsibility and regional leadership.
Hajiyev also mentioned the strategic cooperation between Trkiye and Azerbaijan, elevated to an alliance with the ‘Shusha Declaration.’ He highlighted the transformation of bilateral cooperation into a trilateral model, involving Trkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia and Trkiye-Azerbaijan-Iran, along with outreach efforts to Central Asia. These efforts aim to establish practical cooperation mechanisms serving the interests of all parties involved.
Other speakers at the forum noted the need for innovative approaches in the face of global governance fragmentation, with regional ownership playing a crucial role in addressing shared challenges and providing practical solutions.