Azerbaijan, Baku, 9 February / Trend /
Trend interview with Boris Klimchuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Azerbaijan
Trend : What is your estimation of today's level of co-operation between Azerbaijan and Ukraine?
Boris Klimchuk: Continuing the good traditions of historical friendship and mutual respect, the current government of Ukraine undoubtedly attaches special importance to the development of bilateral relations with the Azerbaijan Republic. It should be mentioned that the level of Ukrainian- Azerbaijani political and economic relations reached the quality indicator and high degree of confidence, where we can describe them through the concept of strategic partnership.
For instance, one of the clear proofs of this is the dynamics of contacts between Ukraine and Azerbaijan at the highest political level. Only during last year, our Presidents met three times to discuss the most important questions of bilateral co-operation in various directions.
Notable event in the context of development of bilateral political relations became the official visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Ukraine on May 21-23, 2008, during which chaired by the Heads of two States, Ukrainian-Azerbaijani negotiations took place in the wide circle of questions. The Council of Presidents was established and its Regulation was signed during the visit. Furthermore, the Presidents signed declaration on friendship and the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, which confirmed the strategic level of relations, in particular, in the context of development of active political dialogue and mutual support in the international organizations.
The President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko made a working visit to Azerbaijan on June 30, 2008. During the visit, the meeting of the Presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan took place, which focused on the prospects of Ukrainian-Azerbaijani co-operation both at the bilateral level and within the regional international structures, in particular Organizations for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM.
On June 2, 2008 the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Yuri Yekhanurov made a working visit to Baku, where he met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev, and was also received by the President of the country Ilham Aliyev. The negotiations covered the questions of development of Ukrainian-Azerbaijan co-operation in the military and military technical spheres. In addition, the ministers discussed questions of co-operation within GUAM, and also held exchange of views on the military-political situation in the region.
During the presidential elections, the Vice Speaker of Supreme Rada of Ukraine Nikolai Tomenko visited Azerbaijan, participated in the observation mission of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. During this official visit, he meet with the Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament, Oktay Asadov.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rais Bogatirev, who arrived in the country in composition of the Ukrainian Delegation and Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Executive Body Ramiz Mehdiyev took place during the Baku energy summit (Nov. 13-14, 2008).
Intensive communications continued via foreign ministries, as well. The Ukrainian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers met during the Ukrainian president's visit to Azerbaijan to participate in the Baku energy summit. Moreover, Deputy Ukrainian Foreign Minister Konstantin Yeliseyev met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Khalaf Khalafov as part of business trip to Azerbaijan to attend President Ilham Aliyev's inauguration ceremony on Oct. 24 in 2008. He submitted to Khalafov Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's welcoming letter addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on occasion of his re-election.
During the meeting, Khalafov highly assessed confidential relations between the countries and expressed Azerbaijan's readiness to continue further interaction with Ukraine under international organizations and to intensify cooperation as part of GUAM.
As in previous years, in 2008 Ukraine and Azerbaijan developed active cooperation under other international organizations, such as UN, OSCE, CIS, CE and PACE, as well as maintained permanent contacts at a delegation level, permanent representatives and experts.
Another important form of interaction was holding regular consultations between the Ukrainian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministries. During these consultations, experts discuss, develop, coordinate and implement some issues of the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani cooperation both at bilateral and multilateral format.
Thus, we have all grounds to look at our future relations with optimism, which is an important and inalienable part of both countries' foreign policy. It bases on well-developed agreement-legal base of bilateral relations which cover almost all fields of interaction, including policy, economy, trade, energy, culture and security.
As to trade-economic cooperation between Ukraine and Azerbaijan, at present we are satisfied with its dynamics, despite existing reserves of its further activity.
Study of cooperation in economic field between our countries testifies stable development and positive tendencies, which takes place in bilateral relations recently. Following figures speak about it expressively.
Taking strategic partnership between our countries into consideration, as a result of swift dynamics of developing bilateral relations, first, in trade and economy field, simple accounts demonstrate that goods turnover between Ukraine and Azerbaijan will reach $1 billion in 2008.
According to the Ukrainian State Statistical Committee, in January-November 2008 foreign turnover between our countries totaled $904 million or 52 percent more compared to the same period in 2007. Moreover, export of production from Ukraine to Azerbaijan for 11 months 2008 totaled $833 million or 46 percent more compared to the same period in 2007. Import from Azerbaijan to Ukraine - $71.4 million or almost thrice as much compared to 11 months in 2007.
Analysis of Ukrainian export to Azerbaijan proves that as before production of metal manufacture, industrial complex and machine-building remain principal branches.
Production of petrochemical industry and agro industrial complex are mainly exported from Azerbaijan to Ukraine.
However, we believe that positive practice of partnership relations in economy can not be limited only by increasing indices on turnover between two countries. It requires solving of such issues as implementation of mutual profitable projects, in particular, in fuel-energy and transport spheres which Ukraine considers as priority ones in cooperation with Azerbaijan. Below I will consider these issues thoroughly.
Moreover, significant opportunities of further development of economic cooperation are based in further development of inter-regional cooperation, establishment of joint enterprises, as well as participation of managing individuals of the sides in privatization of production facilities in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Presently, we have draft agreements on regional cooperation to be signed between Dnepropetrovsk-Odessa-Baku, Volhynia region-Ganja, Ilyichevsk-Karadag region of Baku. We hope they will be signed in 2009.
Doubtless, we must seek and find "common ground" in high technologies. There are great opportunities in cooperation in agricultural production and business, production (including joint one) of marketable food groups. All this proves significant prospects in development of bilateral trade-economic cooperation between our countries.
Q: What is the current state of talks between Azerbaijan and Ukraine on settlement of debt liabilities?
A: Answering this question I would like to note that despite of recent big volumes of foreign trade turnover between our countries, there were not any debts or untimely calculations at the state level.
As Ukrainian ambassador I was informed that calculations between Ukrainian and Azerbaijan companies on supply of diesel oil were not made in 2000 (approximately in the amount of $5 million) when I arrived in Baku more than half a year ago.
I can tell that this issue has been discussed by corresponding departments in Kiev and Baku in 2008.
Several Ukrainian governments changed within the last 10 years. Ukrresources Joint Stock Company who supplied with diesel oil from Azerbaijan has not operated for a long time (it has been closed). But the above-mentioned issue remained unsettled.
Given this fact, our embassy officially appealed to Ukraine's relevant governmental agencies at the end of 2008 to reconsider this issue again and decide it in the 2009 draft budget.
Q: What impact did world crisis have on cooperation between the two countries? Do trade and economic cooperation has reached its goals in 2008?
A: As I noted, trade turnover between Ukraine and Azerbaijan will reach $1 billion according to the 2008 preliminary results by the Ukrainian State Statistics Committee. The trade relations have not experienced a fall. Quite on the contrary, we have more opportunity to market some Ukrainian products at reduced price due to fall in the European markets. These products include metal production, cement, wood, splint-slab, veneer, wheat and other foodstuffs.
Of course, the world crisis brought about some changes in cooperation between the two countries. There was a sharp rise in the USD against the Ukrainian currency while Azerbaijani manat's rate was stabile. It did not allow us to balance trade flow. We still remain reliable strategic partners.
Q: Did grain import from Ukraine to Azerbaijan resume? What volume of grain is expected to be imported to Azerbaijan in 2009?
A: In 2008, Ukraine reached record level of grain harvest. Ukrainian landowners can realize over 13 million tons of grain. In fact, in early 2008, the Ukrainian government imposed a quota on grain export. The restrictions were lifted in April. Azerbaijani importers also took advantage of it who imported over 100,000 tons of grain from Ukraine at that time.
Q: Feasibility study of the project on oil supply via Odessa-Brodi-Plotsk pipe was scheduled to be designed by the end of this year. Is this project ready? Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said at energy summit in Baku that concrete work on this project will begin in 2009. What does this work include?
A: This year participants of the Sarmatiya international pipeline company, which also includes Azerbaijan and Ukraine, revised results of the feasibility study introduced by developers - Granhern, Purvin and Hert, KBR and Greengate in London. The study indicated that the oil supply projects are appropriate from economic point of view. It is essential to deliver Caspian oil. Euro-Asian oil pipeline corridor has been is meant for this purpose. It proves prospects of construction of the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk oil pipeline and that steps taken by Sarmatiya participants are well-grounded.
So, based on conclusions of those who designed feasibility study, steps will be taken to implement Euro-Asian oil pipeline corridor. It requires to address issue of averse regime operation of Odessa-Brody pipeline. Recommendations developed under feasibility study must be applied.
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