Baku, Azerbaijan, March 14
By Azad Hasanli - Trend:
Dagestan's government will strengthen efforts to establish trade-economic relations with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran.
The relevant order was given by Dagestan's President Ramazan Abdulatipov at a meeting of the Security Council of the Republic. The meeting was dedicated to the issues relating to the relations of the executive and local self-government bodies of districts and towns with neighboring countries and regions, Dagestan's Moscow Komsomolets reported.
Abdulatipov stressed the importance of strengthening the international relations from the point of view of Dagestan's economic prospects.
"At present, the country's foreign economic relations are not well-developed," he said. "This level is insufficient. The interregional contacts, rather than the relations at the interstate level, are being developed."
"It is necessary to intensify the efforts in the Caspian Sea," he said. "The representative office of the Russian foreign ministry in Makhachkala must coordinate these processes. It is also necessary to restore the fishing companies we have."
Abdulatipov ordered to organize the trips for the senior representatives of the National Assembly (parliament) and the government of Dagestan to the Caspian littoral states to establish the foreign-economic relations.
"Dagestan's government must earn," he said. "The turnover of the Astrakhan region with Iran is $732 million, while Dagestan - $160 million. It is also necessary to prepare joint projects with the Astrakhan region, the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia."
He also announced an order for the preparation for the Caspian forum entitled "Interregional cooperation of the Caspian littoral states" next year.
Moreover, the issues related to the activity of Dagestan's representative offices in neighboring countries were discussed as part of the meeting.
According to the North Caucasus customs department of Russia, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Dagestan amounted to $136.84 million for three quarters of 2014. Some $122.12 million accounted for the import of Azerbaijani goods, while $14.7 million - exports to Azerbaijan. The trade turnover between the two countries increased by 30.77 percent compared to the same period of 2013.
Azerbaijan's share in a total trade turnover with the CIS countries is 86.96 percent, but 31.9 percent in a total trade turnover of Dagestan with the countries of near and far abroad.
Dagestan mainly exports cattle and small cattle, fish, vegetables, plastics and plastic items, wood and so on to Azerbaijan. Dagestan often imports agricultural products from Azerbaijan.
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