Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 20 /Trend, N.Ismayilova/
A business forum in a larger format is planned to be held in Baku in 2012 in order to expand economic relations between Azerbaijan and Spain, the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade of Spain Alfredo Bonet told Trend on Thursday as part of his first official visit to Azerbaijan. Spanish Secretary of State's visit to Azerbaijan was made on Oct. 19-20.
"We discussed this with Azerbaijani government to organize in Baku next year an important business forum. We want to bring here Spanish companies, with a lot of international experience, in the sectors, in which we believe our companies can contribute more in the development in this country," said Bonet.
Also seminars, technical meetings, one-to-one meetings between Spanish and local companies are planned to be conducted to identify the areas of collaboration in terms of trade, investment and technical cooperation.
"Low activity of the Spanish companies on the Azerbaijani market is a problem that should be solved by our government. We have to inform better our companies about the huge opportunities that exist here, including about ambitious investment plans that will be implemented here in the coming years," he said.
"We both recognize the level of our relations is too low and we have to do something about it. Spain has a lot of experience and know-how in the past 20-30 years in many sectors that are very important now for the future development of the country," he said.
Spanish market is only 0.4 percent in import of Azerbaijan and it is nothing, Bonet said.
"Spain exports to Azerbaijan building materials, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, diversified amount of products but in very limited volume," Bonet said.
According to him, Spanish exports to Azerbaijan total more than 20-30 million euros per year and that is nothing.
"About 99 percent of Azerbaijani exports is oil and gas products," Bonet said.