Azer, Turk, Uzbek Defence Alliance & Pakistan

In a remarkable development in the regions of Central Asia, South Caucasus and Anatolia, three countries Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan agreed on shared defence of the homelands and to take joint actions against attempts undermining their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The pledge was agreed and made public in the second trilateral meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Economics, and Transportation of three countries held in Ankara on 29th Jan 2025. The Ankara Declaration, the outcome document of the meeting includes a comprehensive Action Plan aimed at enhancing connectivity and transport collaboration. Secondly, the ministers agreed to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the Middle Corridor that is about supply of energy to Europe. Lets see what Ankara Declaration have for these three countries and for Pakistan that has close and cordial relations with all three states.

For Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan herself has no security threat from around. Uzbekistan has settled disputes with the neighbours that are not alien but the same Turkic states. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s vision is the unity among the Central Asian and Turkic states for which he has taken many initiatives on regional as well as international level.

For Turkiye

Turkiye, militarily, is the most powerful state among all regional and Turkic states. Turkiye is member of NATO. At the same time, Turkiye faces more defence challenges than any of these three states. Be it Russia Ukraine war, Syria seems to be settling down but it was a problem for long time, Kurd activists within Turkiye and from Iraq, terrorist attacks, NATO responsibilities are some of the serious security threats faced by Turkiye. Therefore, the agreement will add to the strength of Turkiye in dealing with the issues disturbing her national security. Not only militarily but economically as well, the Declaration has increased Turkish weight and importance for Europe, if we see the development of Middle Corridor of energy supply.

For Azerbaijan

The ministers agreed on support for Azerbaijan’s reconstruction and demining efforts in the liberated regions of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Azerbaijan won the war and liberated 72% of her Armenian occupied territory but still there are hurdles in the lasting peace in South Caucasus region. Armenia is not Corridorthe peace agreement reached after second Karabakh war.

Armenia is not obeying the peace agreement by not sharing the maps of land mines in the liberated territory. According to recent reports, at least 54 Azerbaijanis have been killed by landmines in areas previously controlled by Armenian forces since the 2020 ceasefire agreement, with many more injured; the majority of these casualties are civilians. Western Azerbaijanis brutally driven out from their native lands in Armenia are yet to be restored.

Western Azerbaijanis were expelled from their ancestral lands during a series of forced deportations. The year of 1988 saw the next cruel crime in the history of Azerbaijani people when over 250,000 people were driven out of Armenia just because of their ethnic belonging. Many of them were killed, beheaded, and exposed to terrible torture.

The declaration will boost Azerbaijan’s moral to pursue the targets of restoration of Azerbaijani displaced population in the liberated lands and make Armenia fulfil the commitments. Azerbaijan calls on the OSCE and the European Commission to take a principled stance on this issue, arguing that ignoring the rights of Western Azerbaijanis undermines the very foundations of justice.

Middle Corridor

Middle Corridor is the most reliable, swift, and cost-effective trade route connecting Asia and Europe. It is the most reliable, fastest, and economical route between Asia and Europe is the Central Asia-Caspian Sea-South Caucasus-Türkiye corridor. Supply chains in the world have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the recent developments in the Middle East. The largest trade volume in the world takes place between Asia and Europe while Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan are at the heart of this route.

For Pakistan

There was something that is actually not something but encouraging step for two regions, Central Asia as well as South Asia. It was the consensus of the three states on the importance of a unified approach regarding the security and development of Afghanistan, which is seen as key to ensuring stability.

The ministers stated it for Central Asia but certainly it is beneficial for Pakistan as well. Moreover, the three ministers expressed their unanimous opinion as Turkic states and mentioned that it should be worked on Organization of Turkic States (OTS). This organization consists of all Central Asian countries and Turkiye, Azerbaijan. The understanding in this important regional organization on the real issues in Afghanistan is helpful for Pakistan as well to plead her case of security challenges from Afghanistan and muster maximum support from the regional states.

The Ministers advocated for Afghanistan not to be isolated and for this country to live in peace with its neighbours. That observation by the Ministers confirms and promotes Pakistan’s concerns as the most affected country by cross border terrorist attacks from Afghanistan.

Conclusion

The potential, the three states hold together is vast, and by working hand in hand, we can unlock incredible opportunities for our people and future generations. The Ankara Declaration marks a step forward in the strategic cooperation , reinforcing  collective vision for economic integration, regional security, and sustainable development. Pakistan supported Azerbaijan in second Karabakh war. Pakistan has close defence cooperation with Turkiye and Uzbekistan as well. Pakistan can also join this alliance in the future, especially because the member states see Afghanistan in the same context that Pakistan presents to convince the stakeholders.

 Tazeen Akhtar

–The writer is Islamabad based journalist having worked on Central Asia and South Cacasus extensively – He can be reached @ tazeen303@gmail.com)