Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 18
By Azad Hasanli – Trend:
Azerbaijan may help Australia in development of gas fields, President of Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce in Australia Nizami Jafarov told Trend Oct. 18 on the sidelines of the first Azerbaijan-Australia business forum in Baku.
"We have sufficient experience in the oil and gas sector, we have equipment and qualified experts," noted Jafarov adding that Azerbaijan may help in developing the fields in Western Australia.
Currently, development of Australia’s biggest gas field is underway, from where gas is supplied to India and China, he said.
Australia is the biggest exporter of gas to Asian countries. In 2016, the volume of supplies of liquefied gas from Australia to other countries stood at 263.6 million tons, some 18 percent of which accounted for China and India.
According to Jafarov, Azerbaijan may also supply agricultural products, construction materials and grapes to Australia.
"We trade with Australia, but the volume of trade is very small and does not meet our potential. Although, it seems to me that the trade turnover between our countries will increase in the future, especially after the first Azerbaijan-Australia business forum," said Jafarov.
According to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee, trade turnover with Australia amounted to $3.75 million in January-August 2017, 30 percent less than in the same period of 2016.
Jafarov added that Australian companies are mostly interested in hotel business, tourism and agriculture, oil and gas sector, especially the construction of oil platforms in Azerbaijan.