Details added (first version posted on 12:05)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The European Union has implemented 213 projects in Azerbaijan in various spheres until 2016 through the TAIEX program, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Malena Mard, said May 24 in Baku.

She made the remarks addressing a workshop on operations and management in sea ports.

Mard noted that the operations within the TAIEX program started 10 years ago in EU's neighbouring countries and more than 3,000 projects in the spheres of transportation, food security and energy have been implemented over those 10 years.

With its geographical location, Azerbaijan has a great potential to turn into a transportation and logistics center connecting the North with South and the East with West, she added.

Head of the EU Delegation noted that the expansion of cooperation between the Baku Sea Trade Port and European ports, the use of advanced world technologies there, is an important step for reaching this goal.

Mard said she believes that the Baku Sea Trade Port will play an important role in turning Azerbaijan into Eurasia's transportation center.

Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov, in turn, said that the free trade zone, which is being created on the port's territory, will contribute to the economy of not only Azerbaijan, but the whole region.

"We have set a goal to turn into the transportation and trade center of Eurasia," he said. "From this point of view, it is important to boost the cooperation with large world and European ports and use their experience."

"We have already signed a memorandum with the port of Antwerp. We are also expanding the cooperation and use the experience of such port cities as Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam."

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