POLITICS
Azerbaijani PM meets with Turkish Vice President
Baku, December 20, AZERTAC
Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov held a meeting with Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yilmaz, during the latter`s official visit to Baku.
The sides noted the significance of the official visit of the Turkish Vice President to Azerbaijan in terms of further strengthening the good neighbourly and brotherly relations between the two nations.
The parties hailed the efforts of presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the comprehensive development of Azerbaijan- Türkiye strategic partnership and alliance.
Emphasizing the shared stance and mutual support between the two countries, the Azerbaijani PM reiterated his deep gratitude to the brotherly Turkish people and leadership for their unwavering political and moral support, especially during the 44-day Patriotic War.
During the meeting, particular emphasis was placed on the unbreakable brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, evident even during the terrible earthquake in Kahramanmaras. It was highlighted that Azerbaijan continues to support Türkiye in the ongoing restoration and construction efforts following the devastating earthquake. Notably, Azerbaijan has allocated funds amounting to $100 million to provide assistance in the reconstruction of the earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye.
The two lauded the robust trade and economic cooperation between the two fraternal countries, acknowledging its impressive momentum. They highlighted that the volume of mutual trade approached $6 billion last year, reflecting a substantial 25 percent increase. They also referenced to the significance of the Preferential Trade Agreement, stressing its potential to make an important contribution to expanding trade turnover.
Expressing confidence in leveraging the broad existing opportunities, the parties anticipated a continued increase in trade volume and the expansion of economic cooperation. They attributed this positive outlook to the contributions of decisions made during meetings of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye Council of Strategic Partnership and the Joint Intergovernmental Commission.
The side also noted that, as a result of joint efforts by the governments of the two countries, a substantial portion of the Action Plan signed at the last commission meeting in Baku last November has been implemented. The parties expressed their readiness to closely cooperate as part of the Intergovernmental Commission.
Praising the robust cooperation in the field of investment, the parties underscored Azerbaijan`s role as one of the largest investors in Türkiye, reciprocated by Türkiye being one of the largest investors in Azerbaijan.
Touching upon energy and transport projects, the officials highlighted the regional and global significance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, TANAP, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and the Southern Gas Corridor.
The two also emphasized the evolving dynamics of transport cooperation between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of the Kars-Nakhchivan railway. Both sides also discussed cooperation in environmental protection and efforts to combat climate change.
The Azerbaijani PM commended the active participation of Turkish companies in the ongoing restoration and construction projects in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.
The parties engaged in discussions covering issues related to the expansion of Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations in agriculture, humanitarian, education, tourism and other areas of mutual interest.