Global change debated at Azerbaijan’s ADA Political Forum

euronews (in English)

Leaders and thinkers gathered in Azerbaijan for the ADA Political Forum to examine shifting global power, energy security, and the future of international cooperation.

Transcript

00:00At the end of the day, we're in the process of shaping what that new order is like.

00:05We can't cling to a past in terms of a Western-dominated order, because the West doesn't make up the

00:12majority of the world.

00:14And so it's forums like these, and we're bringing that into the dialogue, and that's important.

00:23They're shaping the norms, they're shaping the rules, and that is the future.

00:30It's for the seventh time.

00:40The big group of international experts from different countries visit Azerbaijan to address

00:46important issues of global agenda.

00:49And at the same time, all these visits help to know Azerbaijan better, to feel the pulse

00:58of the country.

00:59The seventh ADA political forum took place in Azerbaijan under the theme, Facing the

01:04New World Order.

01:06Organized by ADA University and the International Center for Analysis of International Relations,

01:12it was an opportunity for open dialogue about issues including regional sovereignty, economic

01:17transformation, and geopolitical changes and instability.

01:21I think the origins of this sort of instability to go back probably 10 years or so, maybe

01:27to the rise of China and the collapse of the Western financial system in 2008 to 2009.

01:32And then suddenly we found the alternative models on display.

01:36It wasn't just the Western financial model, the Western political model which was on display.

01:40So there's a drift towards people and countries thinking about, is the Western model right for

01:45us?

01:46A drift away from multilateralism and towards, if you like, multipolarity or what you might

01:51call mini-lateralism, which is smaller groupings and countries working together to achieve

01:56their own objectives.

01:57Changes in this global power balance and the importance of responsible partnerships and

02:02multilateralism were hot topics.

02:04The global shift and role of Europe and beyond in that global conversation was also debated.

02:10The European Union is the best thing in the world, which is a very good thing, but it has its

02:15faults.

02:16And I think it's good to kind of get out of the bubble and have discussions that the global

02:20South is there, you know, you have other powers like China there.

02:23I think it's crucial to have those dialogues because without it, we just live in a bubble and

02:29don't understand other cultures, other people.

02:31And I think that doesn't make sense because, you know, we can, it makes us a bit full of ourselves.

02:36This already established platform allows us to play an important role as a geographical,

02:45political, economic and transportation bridge between a region of Central Asia and Europe.

02:53And we know that there is a big interest now to Central Asia from the West, whether it's

02:59European Union or United States or other international institutions.

03:04And of course, planning the long term cooperation with that region, it's only enough to look at

03:13the map to understand that Azerbaijan cannot be avoided.

03:1680 attendees from 44 countries traveled to Karabakh University as part of the forum.

03:24It was the first international event to be held in Konkendi and was seen by many as a reflection

03:31of Azerbaijan's openness to further dialogue and international cooperation.

03:35We are trying to understand what's happening with the world, because the world is going

03:40through tectonic changes with the new US administration, with the situation in EU countries and also

03:46with the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza.

03:48We're trying to understand how the world is shifting and how Azerbaijan can be part of this

03:53new reality, new dynamic and how we can contribute to world peace, global peace.

03:59Addressing energy security and climate change in tandem was one of the challenges presented

04:04at the forum.

04:05If your energy security means pumping more emissions into the atmosphere and destroying

04:09the planet, then that's not, that wouldn't be my version of energy security.

04:13How you actually deliver that energy security through increasing use of renewables and green

04:17energy and fewer, less and less use of hydrocarbons has been the big issue.

04:23Having said that, of course, is right at the moment, the whole cost of the transition to

04:28the green transition, if you like, how quick it will be, how expensive it will be, now some

04:34more people are talking about that.

04:35So I think that's, again, quite a difficult conversation that's taking place in the world

04:39about how to balance that energy security over the medium term with climate change over

04:43the long term.

04:44With lots of food for thought, the key takeaways will no doubt ensure the conversations about

04:49the new world order continue despite the forum concluding.

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