Azerbaijan, Baku, June 19 /Trend, S. Agayeva /
Azerbaijan and Greece plan to expand a contractual-legal base. A favorable contractual-legal base is needed for the successful economic cooperation, Azerbaijan's ambassador in Greece Rahman Mustafayev said.
"Now the Azerbaijani side considers a three-year program for cooperation in the spheres of culture, science, education, tourism, youth policy and sports. The program is a supplement to the intergovernmental agreement. As soon as the program will receive support of the Azerbaijani side and will be approved, we will start the process of beginning of new phase of cooperation in humanitarian sphere ", Mustafayev told journalists in Athens.
So far, 20 agreements have been signed between the two countries signed, and, of course, their work is important for both sides, the ambassador said.
He said the plans include holding next meeting of intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation in autumn in Baku. "We already have a package of mutually beneficial projects and initiatives, which will be discussed during the committee meeting", Mustafayev said.
In late June Athens will host an international conference on the Mediterranean Sea's oil and gas. Leadership of SOCAR and the Ministry of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan are invited to this conference. The Greek Energy Minister is interested in meeting with her Azerbaijani counterpart Natik Aliyev. It's possible that during the visit Natik Aliyev will meet with her, Mustafayev said.
The diplomat stressed with regret the low level of trade turnover, which, according to him does not correspond to the potential. "Today the amount of trade turnover is not very high. According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, it makes $170 million for 2009, but Greece indicates the figure as 17 million euros. Such is a big difference in numbers apparently is due to the fact that the Greek companies purchase the oil that we sell to them not for internal consumption, they resell it," Mustafayev said.
He said the Greek businessmen also have a great interest in supply of technologies for the agrarian sector in Azerbaijan.