Sept.17
Azerbaijan, Indonesia sign three documents on business relations
Three memorandums of understanding have been signed between Indonesia and Azerbaijan during a business forum on Monday in Baku. They include a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia and Azerbaijan Foundation for Export and Investment Promotion (Azpromo), a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan (ASK) and the Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia and a memorandum of understanding between the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Indonesia and the Network of Young Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan. The signing ceremony was attended by the chairman of Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia Osman Safta and acting head of Azpromo Rufat Mammadov. The Indonesian delegation was headed by Coordination of Economic Affairs Minister of Indonesia Hatta Rajas. The business forum was attended by about 50 businessmen. During the forum, the parties discussed increasing cooperation.
Islamic Development Bank starts assessing projects implemented in Azerbaijan
Leading expert from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Abdul Hamid Bashir started his visit to Azerbaijan on Monday as part of the second mission to assess the effectiveness of the bank's projects. IDB's office in Baku told Trend that Abdul Hamid Bashir held a meeting with representatives from the Cabinet of Ministers and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilham Guliyev on Monday. The mission aims to assess the IDB contribution to the social and economic development of Azerbaijan. IDB department head Mohammed Sidiya will join the evaluation mission in the third week of September. "Meetings are planned to be held with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Energy, Ministry of Transport, the State Statistics Committee and other agencies within the assessment mission," the IDB office in Baku said. The appropriate report will be prepared.
Sept.18
ADB completes assessment to develop new partnership strategy with Azerbaijan
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has completed a thematic evaluation of the state, economic, social and private sectors to enable it to start working on a new Country Partnership Strategy with Azerbaijan, head of ADB representative office in Baku Olly Noroyono told Trend. "We are completing the sectorial and thematic evaluations," he said. "It was initially planned to finalise the strategy preparation by the middle of next year. However, we cannot fix any precise date as the dialogue is underway with the government."
He said that the strategy can be prepared in accordance with the action plan within the state programme on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in Azerbaijan in 2008-2015, that is covering three years from 2013 to 2015.
"However the country has introduced the 'Azerbaijan 2020: vision into the future' concept," he said. "We will consider it and if it is clear to us, we can prepare the programme for five years. All this is still under discussion. We cannot adopt a strategy for a longer period; say a maximum of five years."
He added that the ADB is also completing work on a business plan for 2012-2014.
"We plan to prepare it in two weeks," he added.
Azerbaijan, Indonesia consider mutual investment
Azerbaijan and Indonesia are considering mutual investment.
"The issues of economic development, the expansion of trade and mutual investments discussed on Monday at a meeting in Baku, which Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister Shahin Mustafayev held with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia Hatta Rajasa," - the ministry said. The potential for the expansion of business ties between Azerbaijan and Indonesia and their effective use was also stressed.
Mustafayev also stressed that official and business visits, business forum and business meetings played important role in strengthening of relations between two countries.
Indonesian Minister Rajasa stressed that the countries had great potential in the development of bilateral relations.
Azerbaijan-Indonesia Business Forum, which was attended by about 50 businessmen, including 13 representatives of the Indonesian business in areas such as real estate, food, transportation, manufacturing, construction, logistics, tourism, agriculture, fishery, etc, was held in Baku on Monday.
Sept.19
Azerbaijan, Slovenia to accelerate signing of agreement
Azerbaijan and Slovenia will accelerate signing of the agreement on protection and promotion of mutual investments, Azerbaijani minister of economic development Shahin Mustafaev said during the Azerbaijani-Slovenian business meeting in Baku. Slovenian delegation is headed by deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Technologies Radovan Žerjav.
Mustafayev said that the sides agreed to accelerate signing of additional agreements during a bilateral meeting with Slovenian guest, held on Wednesday.
He said that the results of cooperation in economic sphere do not reflect the whole potential of bilateral relations yet.
"The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Slovenia is small," he said. "There is certain growth in mutual trade, but the initial base is small."
He said that hydropower engineering, pharmacy, ICT and tourism are perspective fields for cooperation.
Both parties demonstrated investment opportunities of their countries at the meeting.
Deputy Minister: Azerbaijan, Georgia aim to preserve growth of trade turnover and mutual investments
Azerbaijan and Georgia must preserve the existing growth of trade turnover and mutual investments now, Georgian First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Irakli Matkava involved in the work of the first hotel investment conference for the CIS and Georgia (iCON) told Trend in Baku. "The dynamics in mutual investments is increasing," he said. "Azerbaijan is among the top five countries and sometimes among three largest investors to Georgia." He added that SOCAR with its subsidiaries is the largest taxpayer in Georgia. According to the preliminary data of the Georgian Statistics Agency, Azerbaijan invested $48.8 million in Georgia in the first half of 2012 (share of the total investment volume is 10 per cent). The Netherlands ranks first (37 per cent), followed by the United States at 11 per cent.
Administrative building of SOCAR's office opened in Georgia
A professional holiday of Azerbaijani oil industry workers is celebrated abroad, in the countries where the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is operating.
The administrative building of SOCAR's office was solemnly opened in Georgia on the eve of this holiday.
All necessary conditions for SOCAR Energy Georgia and its branches have been created in this building, which is SOCAR's largest office abroad.
SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev, vice-presidents Davud Mammadov and Badal Badalov, the head of investment department Vagif Aliyev, general director of SOCAR Energy Georgia Makhir Mammadov, Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia Azer Huseyn as well as leading mass media representatives took part in the opening ceremony, organized by the company's office in Georgia.
Azerbaijan, U.S discuss cooperation prospects in energy sphere
Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev has received new U.S. Ambassador Richard Morningstar today.
During the meeting the sides discussed the prospects of cooperation in the energy sphere between Azerbaijan and the U.S, as well as energy security, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry Azer Mensimli told Trend.
President: Azerbaijan supports involving French companies in TANAP project.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today met businessmen from the MEDEF, Movement of the Enterprises of France, in Paris, as part of his working visit to France.
Addressing the event, President Ilham Aliyev said that at present the country is working with its partners in ensuring European energy security. President Ilham Aliyev noted Azerbaijan supports involving French companies in TANAP project.
Sept.20
Azerbaijan, Austria sign memorandum on welfare cooperation (PHOTO)
Azerbaijan and Austria signed a memorandum on mutual understanding in the fields of labour, employment and welfare. The document was signed by Azerbaijani Minister of Labour and Social Security Fizuli Alekperov and Federal Minister of Labour and Consumer Security Rudolf Hundstofer. The signing ceremony took place during Alekperov's visit to Vienna for participation in a minister conference organised by the Economic Commission on Europe in the UN.
Agreement on cooperation in legislation improvement and the employment field, development of an active market policy in order to improve facilities for employment of unemployed and those particularly in need of social security and in the field of professional training organisations according to requirements of the labour market was made.
Azerbaijan and Slovenia outlined main directions of economic cooperation
As a result of talks between Azerbaijan and Slovenia, held in Baku, the two sides identified specific areas of economic cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Technology of Slovenia Radovan Zerjav told Trend. "We have identified many areas of cooperation, and to be more specific, we are talking about Azerbaijani investments in Slovenia, namely it was a transfer of ownership or other type of operation of the airport, about possible investments in tourism and energy," Zerjav said. It was not only about the Azerbaijani investments in Slovenia, but also the cooperation of Slovenian side in the area of information technology, the minister said.
SOCAR commissions new filling stations in Ukraine (PHOTO)
Two SOCAR filling stations will be commissioned in the Cherkassy region of Ukraine, SOCAR's Ukrainian representative said. The stations will be opened in the villages Sharin and Ropotuha in the Uman district along the Kiev-Odessa highway. The stations were commissioned by "Astral Service," which manages a network of SOCAR stations in central Ukraine.
EBRD launches new project on promotion of gender equality in Azerbaijan's financial sector
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) will launch a new project "Promotion of gender equality in the financial sector in Azerbaijan" with a workshop entitled: "Gender balance: best practices in Azerbaijan and abroad", EBRD reported.
The project will be implemented by the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, a leading banking, training and consultancy institute based in Frankfurt, Germany, together with the Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association (AMFA), based in Baku.
Sept.21
Process of transferring deep-water jacket plant to Bos Shelf starts in Azerbaijan
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has started transferring deep-water jacket plant to the Bos Shelf joint venture, SOCAR vice-president on economic issues Suleyman Gasimov told Trend.
"SOCAR owns over 90 per cent of Bos Shelf," he said. "The company has experience in BP projects. Its management has international certificates. The plant will be transferred to the terms of a long term lease." He said that SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev has signed a relevant order.
Abdullayev said earlier that SOCAR will be the contractor in the projects implemented under BP in Azerbaijan.