ECONOMY
BELARUS KEEN ON JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF OILFIELDS IN AZERBAIJAN
Rovnag Abdullayev, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), met May 3 with Vladimir Volkov, deputy chairman of the State Petrochemical Concern of Belarus and Alexander Lyakhov, director general of “Belarusneft” production association.
Visitors praised the accomplishments that Azerbaijan has achieved for recent years, notably in the oil sector. Saying that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s official visit to Belarus helped to develop bilateral relations, they expressed their confidence that Belarussian President A. Lukashenko’s visit to Baku will strengthen bilateral ties even more. The delegation said Belarussian companies are set to take part in the hydrocarbon resources development projects in Azerbaijan.
R. Abdullayev stressed that mutual visits of the Heads of States play a key role in strengthening friendship and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus. He told of the innovations in the oil company of Azerbaijan and accomplishments achieved by the SOCAR. According to him, oil industry of Azerbaijan was announced open to all companies interested in cooperation with the SOCAR. The only criterion is Azerbaijan’s national interests and principles of economic profitability. If Belarussian companies’ projects bring mutual economic benefit, it will be possible to begin cooperation in the near future.
Then, the meeting focused on refining of Azerbaijani oil in Belarus, prospects of Belarusneft’s participation in development of the Azerbaijani onshore fields and other issues of mutual interest.