Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend I.Khalilova / In the first quarter of 2007 the GDP growth in Azerbaijan equaled 39% as compared to the same period of last year. The Azerbaijani Minister of Economic Development, Heydar Babayev, said in Kazan this week at the EBRD annual meeting. The Minister further explained that at the end of 2007 the GDP per capita in the Country will reach $3,000 up from the present $2,200.
The GDP growth in 2006 totaled 34.5% in Azerbaijan. According to the Minister, at the end of 2006, the level of poverty in Azerbaijan equaled 20% compared to 49% in 2003. "We consider that it is a high level of concern and will try to improve the economic opportunities of the Azeri people. We have prepared a new State Poverty Reduction Program envisaged up to 2015," Babayev said.