Third session of Azerbaijan-US Economic Cooperation Committee opens in Washington
Baku, April 19 (AZERTAC). The 3rd session of Azerbaijan-US Economic Cooperation Committee opened in Washington. The meeting was co-chaired by the Azerbaijan’s Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov and Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs.
The meeting discussed the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and the United States in various fields and prospects for cooperation.
Opening the meeting, the American co-chair Robert Hormats said the U.S. is interested in developing ties with Azerbaijan and further deepening of friendly relations between countries. According to Hormats, efforts to develop relations and activities of the Commission play an important role in mutually beneficial cooperation.
In recent years, Azerbaijan has achieved great economic success, thanks to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and this is commendable, the U.S. official said.
"The United States welcomes the development of modern economy in Azerbaijan, which serves the interests of the country’s citizens. Our countries should expand cooperation not only in the energy sector, but also to meet the common interests in non-oil area. At the same time, favourable geographical position of Azerbaijan further enhances the value of the country as an international transport corridor,” Hormats said.
Hormats said the U.S. businessmen are interested in investing in many sectors in Azerbaijan, but this requires a creation of national strategy.
Co-Chairman of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov, in turn, said thanks to the “joint efforts ties between two countries fully expanded and deepened and relations between Azerbaijan and the United States have reached a level of strategic partnership.”
Sharifov said President Ilham Aliyev instructed the members of the Intergovernmental Commission to intensify efforts to further expand the current relations between the U.S. and Azerbaijan. The minister also said in October, 1992 the U.S. Congress passed the Freedom Support Act, and Azerbaijan was the only republic singled out from the aid package in Section 907 of the Act, which is still in force. According to Sharifov, time has come to repeal the amendment. "Azerbaijan is strategic partner of the United States, and the Section 907 appears increasingly inadequate amid relations between the two countries," he said.
Samir Sharifov said it is high time also to abolish the discriminatory and outdated Jackson-Vanik amendment against Azerbaijan, which is the strategic partner of the United States in the field of security and energy. Sharifov said the fact that the Jackson-Vanik amendment applies to several countries including Azerbaijan causes some questions. The Azerbaijani finance minister said State Department must raise this issue at the Congress and finally graduate Azerbaijan from the Jackson-Vanik.
Both the Azerbaijani and U.S sides emphasized that there is a significant progress in the area of political and economic cooperation between the two countries and development of an extensive communications framework.
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