BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 14
Trend:
There is very serious progress in Ukrainian-Azerbaijani relations, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said making a press statement together with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trend reports.
“Dear Mr. President,
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you, Mr. President, for the kind words. Let me also thank you for inviting me to visit Ukraine. I am very glad that there is very serious progress in Ukrainian-Azerbaijani relations. We have a high-level political dialogue. President Zelenskyy and I met in Brussels last month, exactly one month ago. As President Zelenskyy has said, he visited Azerbaijan in late 2019. In other words, we are strengthening our contacts, and during the discussions we go over the prospects for the future development of relations between our countries, and make important decisions. In particular, as a result of the wide-ranging exchange of views we had today, I am confident that we will witness new and wonderful events in the near future,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
“As the President has mentioned, in the near future we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, on 6 February. I must say that during independence, Ukraine and Azerbaijan have always supported each other, always supported each other's independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and this support is reflected in the Joint Declaration we signed today,” the head of state said.
“Our peoples are bound together by friendly ties, and as you know, there is a great interest and respect for the culture of the Ukrainian people in Azerbaijan. This respect can also be seen in Baku. A monument to great Ukrainian son Taras Shevchenko has been erected on my initiative in one of the central parts of Baku a few years ago, and both Baku residents and visitors to our city come to this park to have rest. At the same time, one of the largest squares in Baku is named after Ukraine. So these facts in themselves show that there is a great history of relations between our peoples, and we maintain these relations,” Azerbaijani president said.
“In his speech, Mr. President has stated the issues we discussed today. I would like to add that relevant instructions have been given today to develop a specific action program in all areas we have discussed – to the leaders of the joint intergovernmental commission and the heads of relevant agencies. I am sure that we will see concrete decisions at the next meeting of the joint commission in Baku due to be held in two months,” the head of state said.
“We have new plans in the field of energy, which is a traditional area of cooperation. I am confident that these plans will be implemented. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) intends to expand its activities in Ukraine, and I am glad that the Ukrainian side also supports it. At present, SOCAR has an extensive network of filling stations in Ukraine, and, of course, the new steps in the export and processing of oil and oil products will further deepen our cooperation. There is no disagreement on cooperation on other types of energy,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
“I am glad that our trade turnover increased by more than 20 percent last year despite the pandemic, and I do hope that it will reach the level of $1 billion, maybe even more, in the near future. Because the implementation of the documents we signed today and other issues discussed will definitely serve to increase the turnover between the two countries,” the head of state said.
“I believe that the agreements on food security reached today will allow Azerbaijan the opportunity to ensure its food security to a greater extent. At the same time, the groundwork has been laid today for the establishment of joint ventures, joint activities related to the processing and export of agricultural products. This is a novelty. I think it is one of the most important steps in our relations in this area. We are open to cooperation in all other areas,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
“I want to say again that our cooperation is based on friendly relations, and I do hope that this visit, which is taking place at the beginning of the year, will serve to complete this year with good results on a bilateral level and will provide a good basis for future years,” Azerbaijani president said.
“Dear Mr. President, I would like to thank you for the invitation and hospitality. Let me take this opportunity to invite you to visit Baku again. Thank you,” the head of state said.