Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.20
By Seba Aghayeva – Trend:
Bulgarian government plans to significantly expand cooperation with Azerbaijan in several spheres, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Bulgaria Nargiz Gurbanova told Trend Sept.20.
The ambassador pointed out that Bulgaria intends to boost the cooperation with Azerbaijan in such spheres as energy, trade, tourism, ICT, banking sphere, transportation, health care, education, social protection issues and so on.
It is planned to discuss the possibilities of cooperation in these spheres during the fourth meeting of Azerbaijan-Bulgaria intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation to be held in Baku Sept.27-30, added the diplomat.
She said that the meeting comes after eight years of hiatus. Gurbanova said that the reason of such a long break in the commission’s work has been the unstable political situation in Bulgaria.
A government delegation led by Bulgaria’s ministers of economy and energy Bozhidar Lukarski and Temenuzhka Petkova, who are the co-chairs of the commission from Bulgaria will take part in the meeting.
“The delegation will include around 40 representatives of government structures, as well as about 50 representatives of 37 big Bulgarian companies,” said the ambassador. “This is the most substantial delegation which has visited other countries since early 2016.”
“As for the concrete projects for bilateral cooperation, I believe that during the business forum to be held as part of the intergovernmental commission’s meeting, the representatives of business circles from the two countries will put forward their proposals which can be reviewed,” said Gurbanova.
The diplomat noted that currently, there are several projects, including the establishment of cooperation between industrial parks of Azerbaijan and the relevant structures of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria also shows great interest in benefiting from the opportunities of Azerbaijan’s Azerspace 1 satellite, added Gurbanova.
Azerspace-1, Azerbaijan's first telecommunication satellite, was launched on February 8, 2013. The satellite is designed to render digital television services, create VSAT multi-service networks and ensure the governmental communication. The Azerspace-1 service area includes Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Gurbanova added that Azerbaijan will be able to provide one third of Bulgaria’s energy needs from 2020 and it will be a great impetus for the development of the country’s economy.
“The two countries are also interested in mutual investments in the tourism sector, as well as increasing the number of tourists,” she said.
“The cooperation in the agricultural sector is very important for both Azerbaijan and Bulgaria,” Gurbanova said.
“Among the priorities the diplomat stressed the wine-making, the use of control mechanisms over the quality of agricultural products, participation in agricultural fairs, creating opportunities for companies to participate in such forums, providing support to investors and others,” she said. “All these issues will be thoroughly discussed during a meeting in Baku.”
The diplomat said that the establishment of cooperation between the Azerbaijan Export and Investments Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) is also a priority for both sides.
“Azerbaijan and Bulgaria will discuss specific areas of cooperation,” she said. “At the same time, the issues of cooperation between the Azerbaijan and Bulgarian Chambers of Commerce and Industry are to be considered.”
“The agenda of the meeting includes the issue of developing cooperation in the field of education,” she said. “The relations are planned to be expanded between the two countries’ universities. The exchange of students is planned to be ensured. Bulgarian universities are ready to admit Azerbaijani students.”
The diplomat said that to carry out all plans and ideas, the two countries have a solid and broad contractual and legal framework, intended to regulate the legal issues.
More than 50 agreements and treaties covering almost all spheres of bilateral cooperation have been signed between the two countries, she added.
The ambassador said that the diplomatic mission attaches great importance to provide information to business structures and the government of Bulgaria about favorable business atmosphere in Azerbaijan, investment opportunities.
She added that the mission regularly holds meetings both in government structures and private sector, trying to attract attention of the Bulgarian business circles to Azerbaijan.
Possibilities of Azerbaijani goods’ export to the Bulgarian market and further to Europe are being considered at almost all such meetings, said the diplomat.
“There are great prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the pharmacy sphere,” said the ambassador. “In 70s-80s, Bulgaria was traditionally considered one of the major suppliers of pharmaceutical products to the countries of the former Soviet Union, including Azerbaijan.”
“Production in this sphere has been currently established in accordance with international standards, and I think that the Azerbaijani businessmen will be interested in expansion of cooperation with Bulgaria in pharmacy sphere,” she said.
The diplomat called perfume industry of Bulgaria another priority area for cooperation.
The delegation, which will arrive in Azerbaijan to participate in the business forum, includes representatives of perfume companies, which will present their products in Baku, Gurbanova said.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria amounted to $16.5 million in January-July 2016, compared to $6.6 million in the same period of 2015, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Asebaa