Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Maldives has shown interest in the import of oil and oil products from Azerbaijan. This was expressed by the leadership and officials of the Maldives Government to the newly-appointed Azerbaijani Ambassador to that country, Tamerlan Garayev.
During the telephone talk the Ambassador said that in 2008 the old contracts with former partners in this field are expiring and the Maldives authorities are interested in search of new partners.
During the meeting with the President, Foreign Minister and Director General of Maldives' State Commerce Organization, the Ambassador informed them about prospects of such cooperation.
The parties exchanged opinions regarding future bilateral cooperation within different mutually profitable spheres.
In 2008 Azerbaijan plans to produce 50mln tons of oil. Oil is transported via the Baku-Tbilisi -Ceyhan export oil pipeline, the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline and railway to the Georgian port of Batumi. It is also refined at the Baku-based oil refinery plants with a total production capacity of 20mln tons a year.
The Republic of Maldives consists of 1,190 coral islands, forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls and stretches 820 kilometers north to south and 120 kilometers east to west. The Maldives industry comprises of traditional and modern sectors, traditional sector being the construction of ships, matting, weaving, blacksmith's work, handcraft and other craftsmanship industry. The major areas of industry in the modern sector are fish-tinning, production of garments, polyvinylchloride pipes, ship-building, production liquid dishwashers and the reservation of drinking gas water in bottles. Other enterprises include transport services, electric and mechanic symposiums, etc.