This statement was made by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, while welcoming the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin.
“As for the trade and economic sphere, I also believe that the results are quite satisfactory, with growth of more than 17 percent. I think that’s a good indicator. We are already approaching the mark of 4.5 billion dollars. But naturally, this is not the limit. I am confident that, within the framework of the agreements reached during the visit, next year, and even this year, by the end of this year, we will see even greater growth in mutual trade.
I am glad that industrial cooperation projects are being implemented. This is a relatively new area of our cooperation. Russian companies in Azerbaijan are creating new productions, service centers, and all this also contributes to more comprehensive cooperation in the industrial sector.
In terms of agriculture – I looked at the materials before your visit – we complement each other. What we need, we buy from you and vice versa. Also pleased that there is a significant growth in the supply of Azerbaijani agricultural products to the Russian market, as we agreed, continues successfully.
And, of course, the transport and logistics sphere, which you talked a lot about yesterday, and the relevant documents were signed. Here we also see growth in both transit and bilateral cargo transportation. The International North-South Transport Corridor is a project that unites our countries. And we are, as you know, actively interacting in terms of implementing all necessary issues. On Azerbaijani territory, as well as on Russian territory, the infrastructure exists, as we know. It only needs to be modernized so that it would be possible to transport larger volumes of cargo than planned.
And, of course, the humanitarian sphere. Here I think that relations between Russia and Azerbaijan can be an example of relations between two neighboring friendly states. In 26 Azerbaijani universities, teaching is conducted in Russian, more than 16,000 students, citizens of Azerbaijan, are taught in Russian. 324 secondary schools also teach in Russian. We have preserved all the good things that united our peoples over the decades, and regardless of the socio-political formation in which we interacted, friendly ties between our peoples have always been the foundation of interstate relations. And today, when interstate relations have reached a qualitatively new level, both in form and content, naturally, this is also supported by the societies of our countries. So I am confident that, as last year, this year we will end with good results. Our allied interaction will be strengthened for the benefit of our countries and peoples, and will also be an important factor in regional stability and security.
Once again, I welcome you and must now wish you a safe journey, as your visit comes to an end. But, of course, I believe that such regular meetings at the level of heads of government would be beneficial, following the example of regular meetings of heads of state,” the head of state noted.
