Baku, Azerbaijan, March 11
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:
Tajikistan is very interested in opening Baku-Dushanbe-Baku direct flight, Tajik Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zohir Saidov told Trend.
The diplomat said that currently, the two countries' aviation authorities are negotiating on this issue. They are discussing the number of flights per week on this route, according to Saidov.
The ambassador added that Tajikistan is interested in launching the Baku-Dushanbe flight on a parity basis with participation of the airlines of the two countries.
"We attach great importance to opening this flight," he said and expressed hope that the sides will make a decision by late 2015, all the more so, the presidents of the two countries expressed support to this initiative.
"We are convinced that as long as there is no direct flight, it will be very difficult to talk about any significant progress in the development of cooperation between the two countries in any sphere," Tajikistan's ambassador said.
Zohir Saidov added that the lack of the direct flight between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan causes difficulties in the development of trade and economic relations, as well as in the exchange of tourists.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan was around $2.825 million in 2014, according to Azerbaijan's Customs Committee. The import to Azerbaijan from Tajikistan and the export to this country stood at $187,960 and almost $2.637 million, respectively, according to the committee.
Edited by SI
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