Baku. Mubariz Aslanov - APA. APA’s interview with Elnur Aslanov, Head of Political Analysis and Information Provision Department of the Presidential Administration
- According to the assessment of the World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan ranked 39th in the Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 moving up 7 steps within a year. How would you explain this position?
- This position is the value given to Azerbaijan by the world's number one economic forum. The serious researches conducted by the world's most powerful analysts have also recorded acceleration in the process of turning oil revenues into human capital in Azerbaijan. Comparison reveals everything. Per capita volume of oil and gas in Iran is 2.5-3 times higher than that of in Azerbaijan, 1.7 times in Kazakhstan, 1.3 times in Russia, but Azerbaijan’s economy has left behind these three countries for competitiveness. This means that we use oil and gas resources more efficiently than those countries. We leave behind even Italy, a country of the Southern Europe. In fact, this high result has not been achieved easily. Azerbaijan's economy has tripled over the last 10 years thanks to Mr. President Ilham Aliyev’s merits and independent economic policy. Diversification of the economy has been the main goal of the President in last 10 years. So, currently there are 7 oil and gas pipelines delivering Azerbaijan’s oil and gas to international markets. Successful implementation of economic development model aiming to rapidly improve the non-oil sector is also playing a role. Non-oil sector has increased by 11% only the 1st half of this year. This can be considered one of the rare indicators in the world. $5bn of $12.6bn invested in the country's economy in the first 6 months of 2013 was foreign investment. It shows that the importance of Azerbaijan as an attractive and competitive country for foreign investors has increased. Totally, $138bn has been invested in Azerbaijan’s economy over the last 10 years. As a result of it, 10 years later, in 2013, the country almost half of which was living in poverty became a state with 6% poverty rate. Incomes of the people increased by more than 7% in the first 6 months of 2013. However, inflation is stable. The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 shows that Azerbaijan ranks 1st among 148 countries for the lowest level of the inflation rate.
-These figures show that the country’s economy is getting ready for a new stage. What is the goal?
-The biggest goal is to turn Azerbaijan into a developed country. Mr. President has set time for it by 2020. Knowledge economy is being built in the country. The basis of the whole policy is the Azerbaijani citizen, his welfare. It is planned to double non-oil sector in the next 10 years. Just imagine, Shahdeniz-2 and other related projects will bring approximately $40 billion new investments to Azerbaijan. We predict that in the coming years Azerbaijan will move up in the Global Competitiveness Report. This tendency is already observed. Azerbaijan ranked 57th in the Global Competitiveness Report in 2010-2011, 55th in 2011-2012, 46th in 2012-2013 and 39th in 2013-2014.
You know that even during economic and financial crisis Azerbaijan’s economy continued to grow. The growth did not stop even when the oil prices sharply declined. Earlier, Fitch, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s upgraded Azerbaijan’s credit rating. In the past 10 years Azerbaijan’s economy has become one of the fastest-growing economies of the world. Budget has increased almost 19 times. No state in the South Caucasus can compete with Azerbaijan.
-In Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014 Armenia lags behind even some African countries ...
- All are aware of the situation in Armenia. We do not hide that the main reason why aggressor Armenia is in hard socio-economic situation and isolated from the regional projects is Azerbaijan. We will continue increasing pressure on Armenia, as long as the occupation is going on and unless Yerevan gives up its aggressive policy. No one compares Armenia, even a number of regional countries with Azerbaijan any more, the level of development of Armenia and Azerbaijan can not be compared. Even the combined economic power of Armenia and Georgia comprises only 70 percent of revenues gained from non-oil sector of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is not only the geographical, political and cultural center of the region, but also “economic heart” as stated at the World Economic Forum.
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