Turkey seeks to develop economic ties

The key topic on the agenda of the Azeri-Turkish inter-governmental economic commission meeting in Baku was prospects of trade, economic and cultural relations between the two countries. In his opening remarks, the Azerbaijan co-chair of the commission vice-premier Abid Sharifov said that due to a long break between commission meetings, a number of problems have arisen.

Since relations with Turkey hold a special place in the country’s foreign economic policy, the Azerbaijan government is interested in boosting them, he said.

The Turkish co-chair of the commission, state minister Abdulkhalig Mehmet Cay indicated that Turkey too attaches a particular importance to relations with Azerbaijan. He also complained that the Azerbaijan government has been making it difficult for Turkish entrepreneurs to work in Azerbaijan. For instance, Turkey, unlike many other countries, does not enjoy customs benefits in export-import operations, which leads to a number of problems. The state minister mentioned that Turkish businessmen have invested $1.4 billion in Azerbaijan, saying that as where in 1998 the figure stood at $200 million, in 1999-2000 the investment volume dwindled to $35 million. 1,500 Turkish companies have come to work in Azerbaijan, with only a third remaining.

The state minister said openly that solution of problems in bilateral trade and economic relations is up to the Azerbaijan party.

The commission will resume work Friday.*