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| An ancient fortress stands on a mound in Shusha, a key town of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan retook most of the disputed territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020. Azerbaijan is carrying out projects to rebuild the war-torn region. Korea Times photo by Cho Jae-hyon |
'Land of Fire' wants Korean companies' participation in reconstruction projects
By Cho Jae-hyon
BAKU ― When I entered a small souvenir shop tucked in a back alley of the old part of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a group of Korean collegians were gushing over the craftsmanship of handmade items.
They were the only Korean tourists I met in the city during my six-day stay in the country to take part in a media forum. I asked one of them how they came to visit this relatively unknown city that requires about 16 hours of flight.
"You know KwakTube? We were attracted to this city because of the popular YouTube channel," said the student. "Azerbaijan recently emerged as one of the hot tourism spots for young travelers."
YouTuber Kwak Joon-bin who has 1.63 million subscribers has uploaded video clips featuring travel and life in Azerbaijan on his KwakTube channel.
The "Land of Fire," Azerbaijan is a hidden gem for adventurous travelers. Young Azerbaijanis I met in Baku are proud of their culture and nature.
Fidan Mammadova, a sophomore of Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), said, "My country may not be much known to many Koreans. But once they come here, they will love my country, where history and modernity, and Asia and Europe meet."
This region is relatively unknown to Asian tourists, because of security issues stemming from conflicts with neighboring Armenia over the last three decades.
But Azerbaijanis shrug off security concerns.
Firuza Jafarova, a sophomore at ADA University in Baku, said, "We feel safe as we know the government protects us. All people are safe right now. Azerbaijan has been developing rapidly and we have been a developing country for 30 years."
In the Baku Boulevard that sprawls alongside the shores of Caspian Sea, a throng of Azerbaijanis stroll and enjoy cool summer winds on park benches every night, many of them sharing traditional tea at street cafes, a scene so peaceful and leisurely.
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| Travelers take a stroll down a street flanked by cafes and museums in the Old City of Baku, the historical core of Azerbaijan's capital. Korea Times photo by Cho Jae-hyon |
Unmissable tour spots
Baku, nicknamed the "pearl of the Caspian," boasts architectural and developmental wonders, sprinkled by traces of old, modern, Asian, European and Islamic elements that complement each other.
Baku's Old City preserves ancient constructures, enclosed by medieval stone walls built in the 12th century.
To take in diverse architectural styles, stroll down the Old City's cobblestone streets flanked by museums, galleries and cafes. A step in the maze of back alleys will lead to some hidden souvenir shops and old residential houses.
The old town's main icon is Maiden's Tower, a 25-meter-high cylindrical stone constructure. The tower, built in the 12th century, is still wrapped in mysteries as its ancient functions remain unclear. Why, how, when this was built remains debatable to this day.
If Maiden's Tower symbolizes the historical inner city, Flame Towers, a landmark trio of skyscrapers on a hill overlooking the Caspian Sea, is a symbol of modern Baku, which is seen from almost everywhere in the city.
After more than two hours of walking from my hotel on a hot summer day, I arrived at Flame Towers, zigzagging through meandering roads and relying on Google Maps.
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| The Flame Towers stand on a hill in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The trio of skyscrapers, a complex building of a hotel, offices and luxury apartments, symbolize modern Baku. Korea Times photo by Cho Jae-hyon |
As I came closer to the flame-shaped towers, I was struck in awe at their magnitude. The triangular buildings are a complex of a hotel, office spaces and luxury apartments.
Covered with LED screens, the skyscrapers come alive at night, putting on a light show and turning into glowing flames.
Another stunning example of modern architecture in Baku is the Heydar Aliyev Center, built in 1991 in commemoration of the late Heydar Aliyev, the nation's first president after independence from the Soviet Union.
The wavy, free-flowing building, a marvel of architecture and engineering, looks like a wave ascending from the ground toward the sky and descending back to the ground.
The center has a museum dedicated to show the late president's life and achievements. It is also a venue for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural activities.
When I first saw the building, I could not miss the similarities with Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul which is also famous for its curvy exterior lines. I found out later that they were designed by the same British Iraqi architect, Dame Zaha Hadid.
Rebuilding Karabakh, Shusha
Standing in stark contrast to the vibrant and modern Baku is war-devastated Shusha, a key town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
I was among journalists and scholars invited by the Azerbaijan government to the 2023 Global Media Forum held in Shusha in late July.
On the last day of the forum, about 200 of us had a chance to tour Shusha, the key town Azerbaijanis call their "cultural capital" as it is a hometown for many popular singers, poets and artists.
The journey to Shusha was long and bumpy. We flew about 300 kilometers for 40 minutes to Fuzuli International Airport in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
From the Fuzuli airport, we caught a bus that took us through steep, dusty hilly roads for about an hour to reach Shusha.
What we could see through windows of the bus were wrecked walls of houses scattered in mountainous villages.
Azerbaijan retook most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the second war in 2020, after losing it to Armenia in the first war in 1988-94. The conflict has been running for more than three decades.
Azerbaijan is now pressing ahead with projects to rebuild the war-torn Karabakh region, with the return of its citizens being a priority.
Azerbaijanis want Korean and foreign companies to take part in the rebuilding project which they said will set an example for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Zumrud Pashkin, a reporter at APA News Agency of Azerbaijan, said, "I think Azerbaijan has a huge potential in terms of renewable energy and logistics fields. The government is inviting international companies to invest here in rebuilding projects."
She said her country is a middle corridor bridging Europe and Asia for trade of goods, and development of infrastructure is essential especially after the disruption of the global supply chain as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
"I think Korean companies can join this initiative to build infrastructure. They will get tax benefits and they will get an easy access for investment in here, a win-win situation," she said.
She said Azerbaijan could share its experiences in demining and reconstruction with Ukraine.
Young Azerbaijanis, mostly huge fans of K-pop and Korean dramas, say they want to see more Korean companies in their country.
Mammadova, the sophomore at AUL, wants to study in Korea and work with a Korean company.
"My country has oil, gas and large natural resources, but it does not have enough technological tools," she said. "As Korea is one of the best in this field, it would be great if Korean tech companies will have interest in my country."
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| Tourists take a photo in front of Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku. The center has a museum dedicated to show life and achievements of Heydar Aliyev, the nation's first president after independence from the Soviet Union. Korea Times photo by Cho Jae-hyon |
President Aliyev
A final and critical piece of the puzzle for the attraction of foreign capital is a peace deal to stop conflict in the Karabakh region. Azerbaijan and Armenia are still technically at war as the latest 2020 conflict was put to an end by a Russia-brokered truce rather than a peace agreement, just like the two Koreas.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, the son of the nation's first president, threw a press conference at the Shusha Hotel to open the media forum.
Just sitting on a plain chair on the floor without a podium, he answered journalists' questions sincerely for two and a half hours. With no pre-scripted questions, he was answering questions on the spot instantly.
No wonder that questions were centered around conflicts with Armenia and rebuilding of the liberated regions.
Asked in which sectors Azerbaijan needs foreign investment, Aliyev said the priorities are renewable energy, agriculture, construction and digitalization.
Mindful of foreign companies' concerns about risks in the region, he said investment risks are "very minimal" for now as its political, fiscal and corporate management systems turned stable after positive changes in the wake of the second war.
"With the respect of areas which are now priorities for us, No. 1 is the reconstruction of liberated territories. We have a growing number of foreign companies who are working as contractors," he said.
Stressing that his government has "very predictable and stable" policies, he said he wants to see more foreign companies in the non-energy sector.
"I think that foreigners who live and work in Azerbaijan can also prove that in recent years, there have been very serious, positive changes in management, including our fiscal system, including corporate management in our companies," he said. "This process is already in the final stage of full compliance with international standards."
Right after the press conference, Aliyev was courted by participants who elbowed their way to the front to take photos with him. Showing no hint of reluctance at their request, he posed with each of them one by one.
