Azerbaijan, Baku 6 March /corr. Trend I.Khalilova / There are plans to attach great importance to the development of co-operation with various regions of Russia to strengthen the commercial-economic and investment relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia, which will give an opportunity to increase the trade turnover up to $2bln, the Trade Representative of Russia to Azerbaijan, Yuri Shedrin, said to a press-conference on 6 March.
The Azerbaijani-Russian Chamber of Business Co-operation organized the first visit this year to Ural Federal Okrug in order to study the co-operation opportunities. The Azerbaijani delegation arrived in the regions of Kurgan, Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk.
According to the Trade Representative, Ural enterprises are interested in deliveries within the national program on improvement of the transport network, railway infrastructure, construction materials (pipes, project) and road equipment.
During the visit of delegation of Uralvagonzav to Baku in September 2006, an agreement was reached upon to participate in the tenders on supply of equipment in carrying out capital repair. The Vice President of Ural Trade, Elkhan Bagirov, said that during the visit of Azerbaijani delegation, this issue was again raised because in exchange Azerbaijan may supply fruits and vegetable products for 140 kindergartens owned by the Ural Plant.
According to Bagirov, the representatives of the business people of Kurgan region, who actively supply forestry and agricultural products, are interested in purchasing wine products from Azerbaijan.
Taking into consideration such interests in developing the mutual co-operation, Shedrin expects the trade turnover with Ural Okrug to increase by several times this year. Approximately, the amount of trade turnover can total $300mln as compared to $110mln in 2006. According to the representative of Azerbaijani-Russian Chamber of Business Co-operation, Intigam Huseynov, there is an agreement on trade and economic co-operation which was signed back in 2006.
In Jan 2008, the increase in trade relations between Azerbaijan and Russia made up about 7%.
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