Gabala, April 27, AZERTAC

On April 27, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš delivered press statements in Gabala.

The President of Azerbaijan made the statement first.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Honorable Mr. Prime Minister,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I sincerely welcome you.

I am very pleased that Mr. Prime Minister is our guest today. We met three months ago in Davos. That was our first meeting, and it was very productive; we exchanged views on many issues. I invited Mr. Prime Minister on an official visit to Azerbaijan, and I am delighted that this visit is taking place today. This demonstrates the dynamic development of relations between the two countries. We now have a very active political dialogue. Today, an exchange of views was held on many issues, including those of a regional, bilateral, and global nature.

There are concrete proposals regarding the work to be carried out in the economic sphere. We welcome the fact that a large group of businesspeople from the Czech Republic has come to Azerbaijan together with the Prime Minister, and that at the business forum to be held today, new contacts will be established and views will be exchanged on existing projects. We expect to increase our trade turnover to an even higher level. Already, our trade turnover has increased significantly and stands at over USD 800 million. However, if we look at its structure, we see that it is largely composed of Azerbaijani oil exports. Therefore, we aim for it to be more balanced and for its structure to be improved. I am confident that this will be achieved, as many specific economic and investment-oriented projects were discussed today, both in the bilateral meeting and in the negotiations between the delegations.

Naturally, a large part of our cooperation pertains to the energy sector. In this field as well, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan have been very reliable partners for many years. Azerbaijani oil is exported to the Czech Republic and occupies an important place in the Czech energy balance. Azerbaijan is among the reliable countries exporting its energy resources to global markets. This is also noted by the European Union, which considers Azerbaijan as a reliable partner. Today, Azerbaijani gas is exported to 16 countries, 10 of which are members of the European Union. Furthermore, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to countries neighboring the Czech Republic. Naturally, we discussed this today as well and reached an understanding regarding future cooperation in this field. We view this through a broader lens; it will not merely consist of trade or the export of energy resources. We envisage large-scale, long-term cooperation

Another important area of cooperation between our countries is the defense industry. Successful cooperation has been carried out here for a long time as well. We purchase many military-grade products from the Czech Republic, and at the current stage, negotiations are underway on specific projects regarding joint production. I am confident that this field will also be of a large scale. Azerbaijan ensures its defense potential, including through local production, and in the future, our joint efforts with countries such as the Czech Republic, which has extensive experience in this field, will be of particular importance.

An exchange of views was also held today regarding many other areas. Discussions were also held on the Intergovernmental Commission convening again soon. In short, friendship and cooperation between the Azerbaijan and Czech Republic are reaffirmed once again today, and excellent prospects are opening before us.

Mr. Prime Minister, once again, welcome to Azerbaijan.

x x x

Then, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic made the statement.

Statement by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

- Mr. President,

I am very grateful to you for receiving me so warmly here at your residence. I truly value this highly, and it is a great honor for me. I am glad that we are continuing our conversation following Davos.

I can state that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the Czech Republic. For this reason, I am pleased that our relations are also built on friendship. It is clear that Azerbaijan is at the center of global attention. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was here, and Giorgia Meloni will visit next. This once again demonstrates the importance of your country.

The meeting we held today was of particular importance. At present, Europe is focusing on energy, as raw materials are required for refineries, and natural gas is needed for the production of various products. Azerbaijan is the largest oil supplier to the Czech Republic. Forty-two percent of the oil we import comes from Azerbaijan.

Mr. President, we have come here with our partially state-owned company ČEZ, and they wish to sign a contract regarding gas supplies from Azerbaijan. You will primarily be increasing production. The CEO of ČEZ is here. He would be very pleased to sign a long-term contract with you for gas supply through ČEZ, which is one of the largest gas distribution companies. Accordingly, in addition to oil, Azerbaijan can effectively become our strategic partner in this field as well.

I am pleased that you have proposed holding a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, and I believe we have already been informed of your appointment to the Commission. From our side, the representative will be First Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček, and he will cover all the issues we have discussed.

Energy is extremely important for us. It is also important for Europe to understand that some of its directives are, in fact, harming non-European suppliers, and that it is not in our interest for Europe to rely on only two gas suppliers. We are interested in this supply and are ready to sign long-term contracts.

The most important Czech companies are represented in our delegation, and a total of 50 companies are participating. We have a very strong interest in signing a contract with the Baku Metro. ŠKODA Transportation is part of one of the largest economic groups in our country, and possibly in the region, the PPF Group. That group, along with other companies, is ready to establish a joint venture, begin production in Azerbaijan, invest in research and development, cooperate with your universities, and work with your people.

We know that China is ahead of us, but we are highly capable, and this capability is deeply rooted in our history. Czechoslovakia was one of the ten most industrialized countries in the world, and we are confident in our capacity to be a leading industrial partner. The Czechoslovak Group is already active here, and through joint ventures, we are already producing our own products.

The Aero Vodochody company currently provides in practice service and repairs for outdated L-39 aircraft. We are presenting the new L-39NG aircraft to you, and we would be very pleased if you would consider it for evaluation. The “Colt” company is, in the true sense of the word, a significant international company; it supplies its excellent products all over the world, and we are glad that your police and other security forces are already familiar with those products.

We will discuss this today at the business forum. We have other options as well. You mentioned your company that is active in freight transport here, and we are naturally interested in that. We also noted one fact: we discussed a new project in Karlovy Vary and would like the airport and its runway to be expanded. Thus, this could be a new strategically important airport in the Czech Republic in which we invest. Consequently, it could contribute to tourism and the development of relations between our countries. We discussed many issues today.

I am very pleased with all of this. I have a very positive impression. Our conversation was particularly meaningful, and naturally, we spoke about the general situation in the world. However, today we have come here to accelerate and intensify our economic relations. The number of these projects is large. We are ready; we will be swift and flexible.

I am very grateful for the time you have allocated and for the opportunity to visit your country. Thank you for the excellent reception. I truly value all of this highly.