Gerhard Schroeder: Germany is Azerbaijan`s major partner in Western Europe
Baku, March 13 (AZERTAC). Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said Germany was Azerbaijan`s major partner in Western Europe.
Mr. Schroeder, who gave a lecture in Baku organized by the German-Azerbaijani Foreign Chamber of Commerce, praised economic relations between the two countries. He said a large number of German companies were operating in Azerbaijan. Mr. Schroeder said the founding of the German-Azerbaijani Foreign Chamber of Commerce in 2012 was a necessary step in terms of strengthening the bilateral relations. He praised trade between Azerbaijan and Germany, saying it grew 30% last year against 2012. “Azerbaijan is the seventh largest exporter of oil to Germany.”
Mr. Schroeder praised tolerance in Azerbaijan, adding the country built a model society in which representatives of various religions, cultures and ethnicities were living together in peace.
The former Chancellor also lauded what the Azerbaijani government had been doing to develop alternative energy sources. “For many long years Azerbaijan has played an outstanding role in ensuring Europe`s energy security.”
Florian Schroeder, Executive Director of the German-Azerbaijani Foreign Chamber of Commerce, said Azerbaijan was the second country in the CIS after Russia where the chamber was set up, saying it testified to excellent relations between Azerbaijan and Germany. He stressed the role of the meeting between Gerhard Schroeder and President Ilham Aliyev in 2004 in developing the bilateral relations.
Florian Schroeder praised development processes in Azerbaijan, calling Baku Paris of the South Caucasus.
The lecture was attended by senior Azerbaijani government officials, Azerbaijani and German businessmen, Azerbaijani parliamentarians, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Baku, and more than 200 people from economic and political fields.
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