(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 17
Trend:
Co-chair of the Azerbaijan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission
on Economic Cooperation from the Azerbaijani side, the Deputy Prime
Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and
co-chair of the Commission from the Russian side, the Deputy Prime
Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk held a video
conference, Trend reports.
Representatives of the relevant government agencies of both
countries also participated in the meeting.
Issues on the agenda, as well as achievements and prospects for
cooperation in economy and commerce, mutual investments, industry,
transport and logistics, customs and border, oil and gas, energy,
including renewable energy, agriculture, and food safety, banking,
interregional relations, humanitarian and other areas, were
discussed during the meeting.
The sides noted that 2022 is significant for the 30th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Azerbaijan and Russia. It was also emphasized that the
20th-anniversary meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission will
be held in Baku in April-May this year.
They hailed the fact that despite the negative impacts of the
coronavirus pandemic, the trade between Azerbaijan and Russia rose
by more than 12 percent to reach $3 billion in 2021. The first
cargo train launched from Azerbaijan to Russia on February 12 as
part of the Agroexpress project was evaluated as a successful
result of joint activities between the two countries.
During the meeting, the role of the Azerbaijan-Russia and
Russia-Azerbaijan business councils in the development of relations
between business circles and determination of new opportunities of
cooperation was highly appreciated, and the active work of the
Russian Export Center in this context was noted.
It was noted that the sides will continue providing overall
support for increasing mutual investments between the two countries
and that Azerbaijan invested $1.2 billion in the Russian economy,
while Russia invested more than $6 billion in the Azerbaijani
economy.
The sides underlined the favorable opportunities for Russian
companies to take part in projects implemented in industrial parks
of Azerbaijan and that 14 Russian companies had already applied for
working in the Azerbaijani territories liberated from
occupation.
Different industries, including car manufacturing, production of
medical preparations, construction materials, railways, winemaking,
helicopter and car repair and others were assessed as a
manifestation of successful cooperation.
It was noted that the volume of exports of fruits and vegetables
from Azerbaijan to Russia in 2021 increased by 6 percent. From this
viewpoint, an extension of the period of permission to carry fruits
and vegetables from Azerbaijan to Russia by railway till 1 January
2023 was highly appreciated. Besides, it was stated that Russia was
the main supplier of mineral manures and feeding plants to
Azerbaijan. The level of cooperation in transport and logistics was
highly evaluated, the increase in the volume of road transport rose
by 6,6 percent, and transit goods – by 14,3 percent was especially
emphasized.
The two sides stressed the importance of the North-South
international transport corridor and said that active work was
underway both in Azerbaijan and Russia to expand opportunities as
part of this corridor. The prospects for the establishment of an
integrated operator mechanism for this corridor were also
discussed.
The parties described the Azerbaijan-Russia Interregional Forum
as an important platform for the development of relations between
the regions, and that the 11th Forum will be held in the second
half of 2022.
The two sides stressed that they were ready for continuing the
constructive dialogue aimed at strengthening and expanding the
relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in all areas of
cooperation.
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