Details added (first version posted on 12:47)
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 19
By Azad Hasanli – Trend:
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey are doing a great job for the Silk Road development, Aydin Aliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, said at the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral meeting in Baku July 19.
Georgian First Vice Prime Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili and Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade Bulent Tufenkci are taking part in the meeting.
Aliyev said that many countries are working on the Silk Road development, but Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey pay much attention to it.
“The three countries also pay special attention and carry out large-scale work in increasing freight traffic and ensuring energy security in the region,” he said.
“The political will of the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish presidents plays the main role in the economic development of the three countries and their integration into the world community,” Aliyev said.
In his turn, Kumsishvili said that Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey are implementing a number of joint projects, one of which is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
"The projects which are being implemented by our countries are of strategic importance and important for us,” he said. “I believe that our cooperation will develop in the future."
Tufenkci stressed the importance of simplifying mutual trade between the three countries.
"We know that by taking some measures at customs checkpoints, we will be able to simplify mutual trade,” he said. “Today we plan to sign relevant documents. The corridor among our countries is very important. It will help ensure peace in the Caucasus, simplify trade with third countries and transport goods produced by our countries safely.”
“We have already solved a number of problems in this regard,” he said. “I believe that today we will be able to solve the remaining problems as part of discussions.”
A meeting of representatives of the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish customs bodies is being held in Baku July 19. The representatives of the embassies and other participants are also taking part in the meeting.
Two documents are expected to be signed as part of the meeting.
According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey amounted to almost $1.2 billion, while the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia - $270.35 million in January-June 2017. Both countries are on the list of the main foreign economic partners of Azerbaijan.