(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 4. The 10th meeting
of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye Intergovernmental Commission on Economic
Cooperation was held in Baku on November 4, the Cabinet of
Ministers of Azerbaijan told .
The meeting chaired by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay was attended by the heads of
relevant public agencies of both countries.
While delivering a welcome speech, Prime Minister Asadov said
that relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye had reached the
pinnacle of strategic partnership and alliance, highlighting the
brotherhood of the heads of the two states, based on mutual trust
and respect, as the key factor. He also expressed gratitude to the
leadership of Türkiye and the entire fraternal Turkish people for
the political and moral support provided to Azerbaijan during the
44-day second Karabakh War.
Furthermore, the official emphasized the Shusha Declaration's
role in further strengthening of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye ties. The
declaration demonstrated an example of friendship and brotherhood
between the two countries to the whole world.
The meeting noted, over the last few years, Azerbaijan-Türkiye
relations have gone beyond the bilateral format and become regional
thanks to the efforts of President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. The successful collaboration between the two
countries in various fields was also highly commended.
In addition, the prime minister said the mutual trade of the
countries reached $4.35 billion from January through September
2022, increasing by 34 percent. The mentioned growth points to good
opportunities for further expanding economic and trade cooperation
in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. In this regard, the decisions
and agreements reached the meetings of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye
Strategic Cooperation Council and the Intergovernmental Commission
are of particular significance. He added that enhancing the
preferential trade agreement, as well as the implementation of
action plans signed between the two countries, will further
increase trade turnover.
The sides also outlined that Azerbaijan and Türkiye hold a
crucial role in ensuring the energy security of Europe through
joint projects, and the development of transport cooperation is of
utmost importance in this respect. The transshipped cargo volume
between the two countries increased by 60.2 percent in the first
nine months of 2022, including transit cargo (by 96.3 percent). It
was also noted that the
Kars-Igdir-Aralik-Dilucu-Sadarak-Nakhchivan-Julfa railway project
is of great necessity for ensuring direct railway communication
between the major part of Azerbaijan and Türkiye through
Nakhchivan.
The officials underscored the opening of the Zangazur corridor
and the railway to Nakhchivan will foster further expansion of the
Azerbaijan-Türkiye economic and trade ties, as well as will
contribute to economic progress of the regional countries. They
also pointed out that the opening of transport communication routes
could provide good opportunities for cooperation. Meantime, the
importance of joint industrial and investment projects was also
mentioned.
According to the officials, the Azerbaijan-Türkiye unity proves
itself in the restored Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. Large-scale
construction activities, essential infrastructure projects on
Azerbaijan's liberated lands involve Turkish companies as well. The
participation of President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in the inauguration of the first stage of the“Dost
Agropark' smart agricultural complex in Zangilan, at the
groundbreaking ceremony of the 'Azerbaijan-Türkiye International
Forestry Training Center',“Smart Seedlings' and 'Friendship
Forest' Complex in Jabrayil district on October 20 was assessed as
another vivid expression of brotherhood between the two
countries.
Fuat Oktay welcomed friendly, fraternal and allied relations
between the two countries. He noted that the regular meetings of
the heads of state make a special contribution to the improvement
of these relations. Noting that the Azerbaijan-Türkiye partnership
has strengthened even more in recent years, the Vice President said
that large-scale transport and energy projects of the two countries
are of considerable importance for the region.
The meeting addressed prospects for further expansion of
mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye in
policy, economy, trade, transport, energy, agriculture, tourism,
culture, and healthcare.
In conclusion, Ali Asadov and Fuat Oktay signed the protocol of
the 10th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye Intergovernmental
Commission on Economic Cooperation and action plans covering a
number of cooperative areas.
The officials signed the 'Agreement between the Government of
the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of
Türkiye on cooperation in the field of seed production', 'Agreement
between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the
Government of the Republic of Türkiye on cooperation in the field
of plant protection and quarantine', 'Protocol on cooperation
between the Food Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the
Halal Accreditation Agency of the Republic of Türkiye', 'Memorandum
of Intent between the Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business
Development Agency (SMBDA) and the Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Organisation of Türkiye (KOSGEB) to expand the access
of micro-, small and medium enterprises to financial resources',
and 'Agreement on bilateral cooperation between the Azerbaijan
Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and the
Turkish Exporters Assembly'.