Senator Lawyer Cristian-Augustin Niculescu-Țâgârlaș: „Azerbaijan is an essential partner in a world that is reconfiguring itself”

Cristian-Augustin Niculescu-Țâgârlaș is a senator of Romania, president of the Committee on Culture and Media of the Romanian Senate and a promi­nent member of regional initiatives on the rule of law, the protection of legal professions and the strengthening of cultural cooperation. He recently paid an official visit to Azerbaijan as part of a parliamentary mission dedicated to promoting the Middle Corridor. In the interview below, he offers a pro­found vision on bilateral coope­ration, post-conflict reconstruction and a geopolitics based on balanced partner­ships and shared values.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: Mr. Senator, how do you assess Azerbaijan’s positioning in the cur­rent geopolitical context, starting from the hypothesis that the process of re­configuring the South Caucasus region and the consolidation of the Middle Corridor transform this coun­try into a pole of stability and a factor of strategic resilience for Eurasian relations?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Azerbaijan is no longer a mere regio­nal actor, it is a strategic node of the Eurasian geopo­litical reconfigu­ration, with a pivotal role in the Middle Corridor, between Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe.

For Romania, as a member state of the European Union and NATO, the partnership with Azerbaijan is part of a logic of strategic interdependence. This cooperation strengthens not only energy security and the diversification of supply routes, but also the ability to build bridges of stability in a region at the confluence of the interests of the great powers.

Equally, Azerbaijan demonstrates a rare ability to combine institutional and economic modernization with a firm anchoring in its own historical and cultural identity. This synthesis of tradition and modernity generates a balanced development model, which can also inspire other neighboring states. From this perspective, Azerbaijan is not just a conjunctural partner, but a benchmark of geopo­litical resilience, with a long-term strategic value for Romania and the Euro-Atlantic community.

Beyond these dimensions, we found in Azerbaijan a partner deeply con­nected to the values ​​of dialogue, stability and modernization, a country that is building its future with a clear vision, but anchored in its own identity.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: You recently visited Azerbaijan, as part of a mission dedicated to the Middle Corridor. What were the con­clusions of this visit?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Our visit was both strategic and symbolic. On the ground, in Baku and Hankendi, we saw a reality in motion, with impres­sive reconstruc-tion works in liberated areas, but also with visible traces of suffering and destruction. The Middle Corridor is more than a transport route, it is a project of regio­nal reconnection, peace, economic and cultural partnership.

Azerbaijan today is the image of a state that transforms suffering into construction, and the imprint of war is being replaced, step by step, by the contours of peace. Regions such as Karabakh and Hankendi, which I had the honor of visiting, are emblematic of this metamorphosis.

What deeply impressed me was the contrast between the scars left by the conflict – ruins, collapsed buildings, lands marked by destruction – and the visionary force of reconstruction. Schools, cultural centers, modern roads are being built. It is a renais­sance in the truest sense.

At the same time, Azerbaijan is increasingly asserting itself as a pillar of stability and dialogue in a complex region, with an increasingly articulate voice in the international geopolitical concert.

I had fruitful meetings with Azerbaijani officials, including from the legal system and the legal pro­fession, who expressed their support for the signing and ratification of the European Convention on the Protec­tion of the Profession of Lawyer, a document actively pro­moted by Romania. In pa­ral­lel, we have streng­thened par­liamen­tary, cultural and educational cooperation, with an emphasis on uni­versity exchanges and media initiatives.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: Romania and Azerbaijan colla­borate in the field of energy, but what other di­men­sions of the bilateral partner­ship do you cons­ider need to be dev­eloped?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Our partnership has a solid energy core, but it must be expanded to dimensions such as edu­cation, culture, tourism, digital infra­structure and justice. Romania can become a gate­way for Azerbaijan to the EU, and Azerbaijan a gateway to Asia for Romania.

On the legal front, we can develop a common platform for the liberal pro­fessions, especially for lawyers, no­taries, mediators and jurists, to streng­then professional dialogue, exchange of best practices and protect the values ​​of the rule of law. On the cultural front, we have the opportunity to create joint events, exhibitions, media initiatives, which will bring to the fore the traditions, art and history of the two peoples.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: You have been involved in nume­rous interna­tional missions. What differentiates Azerbaijan from other states in the region?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Azerbaijan is distinguished by strate­gic clarity and a balance between accelerated modern­ization and respect for heritage. Also, the way the state manages the reconstruction process in post-conflict areas is impressive, new buildings, infrastruc-ture, restorations are proof of a deep commitment to the future.

It is a country that combines oriental hospitality with mature diplomacy, which understands its role as a bridge between diverse cultural, religious and geopolitical spaces. This makes it a reliable partner in an increasingly fragmented world.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: You men­­tioned earlier about the European Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer. How does Azerbaijan re­late to this initiative?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe and a state that has undertaken important legal reforms. During the official meetings, the Azerbaijani partners expressed a clear openness to signing and ratifying the Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, a document that Romania actively supports.

It is a signal that Azerbaijan wants to consolidate its status as a modern state of law, where legal professions enjoy respect, protection, and independence.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: Do you think that the model of post-conflict reconstruction in Azerbaijan can inspire other re-gions affected by war?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: Yes, without a doubt. What we have observed in Azerbaijan, in the regions affected by the Karabakh conflict, represents a coherent, stra-tegic and deeply rooted model in local realities, which can be reproduced – with the necessary adaptations – in other post-conflict spaces in the world.

The success of reconstruction does not consist only in the construction of buildings, roads or technical infra­structure. What makes the Azerbaijani model remarkable is the simultaneous integration of several dimensions: technological, identity, symbolic, legal and community.

The reconstruction of the liberated regions is not left to chance. The Azerbaijani government has imple­mented a model of effective gover­nance, with clear objectives, smart prioritization of investments, and rigorous quality and impact con­trol. In parallel, opportunities have been created for the return of residents, for local investment, and for the resto­ration of social networks destroyed by the war.

In Azerbaijan, reconstruction is ac­com­panied by the restoration of the historical, religious and cultural her­itage, not only of the majority, but also of all the communities that lived in the region. It is a powerful mes­sage: peace does not mean forgetting, but recognition and continuity, in a new architecture of coexistence.

In this sense, the Azerbaijani model becomes an important precedent for all regions that need to heal historical wounds without rewriting identities. It is a reconstruction of memory, not just territory.

Ioana Cristea Drăgulin & Petronela Adiaconiței: What message would you convey to Azerbaijani citizens, especially young people?

Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu– Țâgârlaș: I would just say this: don’t be afraid to build bridges. In a world marked by isolation and conflict, those who unite are the ones who will shape the future.

Young people must be the leaders of this change, through education, initiative, creativity and dialogue.

Romania is and will be a loyal friend of Azerbaijan, and I, personally, will continue to be involved in promoting projects that bring us closer: through law, through culture, through people.

Building bridges means guaranteeing peace. And the Middle Corridor is, above all, a corridor of hope.

Interview conducted by Ioana CRISTEA DRĂGULIN & Petronela ADIACONIȚEI