POLITICS
UAE TO SIGN AIR PACT WITH AZERBAIJAN
The UAE will sign an agreement with Azerbaijan this week for cooperation in air service within plans to expand links in all fields, officials said yesterday.Ahmed Humais A; Tayer, Minister of Communications, will sign the deal when he visits Azerbaijan tomorrow.During his July 8-10 trip, the first by a high-ranking UAE official to Azerbaijan since it opened an embassy in the UAE in June 2001, Tayer will discuss cooperation in transport and related fields.“Agreement between the governments for the purpose of establishing air services between and beyond their respective territories will be signed during the visit. This agreement is the first to be signed between the UAE and Azerbaijan”, the Azeri Embassy said. It said the agreement is within plans to bolster cooperation in all fields in line with instructions by President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev. It noted the UAE is already actively involved in development projects in Azerbaijan through its Abu Dhabi Development Fund, which has provided $10 million to finance the reconstruction of Baku bypass motorway in the Azeri capital.