Azerbaijan, Serbia on the Priorities of Cooperation in Trade, Investment & Tourism
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Serbia this year increased by 33%, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan announced Saturday at the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Serbia.
Prior to the meeting of the commission, with the participation of delegations led by co-chairs of the commission - Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljaic - a round table with the participation of Serbian companies took place.
During the event, information was provided on the favorable environment for business and investment in Azerbaijan, and the development of ties between the business circles of Azerbaijan and Serbia and the expansion of bilateral cooperation in business were discussed.
Minister Mustafayev stressed the importance of the visit of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Serbia in 2011 and the President of Serbia Alexander Vucic in 2018 to Azerbaijan in the development of bilateral cooperation.
The Declaration on Friendship and Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and Serbia signed in 2013 and the signing in May 2018 of the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Serbia are the main documents defining the nature of bilateral cooperation.
During the last visit of the President of Serbia to Azerbaijan, a number of important documents were signed in the fields of medicine and medical education, plant protection, international freight and air communications, and an Azerbaijani-Serbian business meeting. It was noted that trade relations are also one of the main areas of cooperation between the two countries. The trade turnover between the countries in 2017 increased by 36%, for the nine months of 2018 - by 33%.
Azerbaijan and Serbia are also making mutual investments. Azerbaijani company Azvirt participates in infrastructure projects in Serbia, also developing cooperation in the field of tourism. In 2017, the number of Serbian citizens visiting Azerbaijan increased by 14%. Citizens of Azerbaijan can visit Serbia without a visa, and citizens of Serbia during their visit to Azerbaijan can use the opportunities of the electronic ASAN visa system.
Cooperation in the humanitarian sphere sees the newly-opened Center for the Azerbaijani Language and Culture at the University of Belgrade, and the Center for the Serbian Language and Culture at the Azerbaijan University of Languages.
Deputy PM Ljaic stressed that Serbia attaches great importance to relations with Azerbaijan, noting the expansion of trade and economic cooperation and the possibility of interaction in the fields of energy, agriculture, infrastructure, ICT, tourism and others.
Following the fifth meeting of the Commission, a protocol was signed by Shahin Mustafayev and Rasim Lyaich, providing for the continuation and expansion of cooperation in trade and economic, investment, financial, industrial, energy, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, small and medium enterprises, ICT, education, health, ecology, tourism, culture, youth, sports and more.
By Dimitri Dolaberidze