July 31
WTO urges Azerbaijan to step up bilateral talks with its members
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has called on Azerbaijan to step up bilateral talks with WTO members on market access commitments for goods and services in order to accelerate its efforts to secure WTO membership, says the organization’s message posted on its website.
The negotiations on Azerbaijan’s access into the WTO were held last week as part of the visit of Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev to Geneva.
The chair of the WTO’s working party on the accession of Azerbaijan, Ambassador Walter Werner (Germany), concluded a meeting of the working party by calling on Azerbaijan to “proactively engage and advance market access negotiations” with members and to focus in particular on bilateral market access talks, “whose progress, in my view, has fallen behind other areas of the accession negotiations”.
He noted that Azerbaijan had undertaken a number of reforms over the past six months, including adopting 12 “strategic roadmaps” for the development of the country’s economy as well as regulations covering trade facilitation and the improvement of trade and logistic infrastructure.
Mammad-Guliyev added that implementation of the roadmaps by 2020 would serve as a “foundation” towards successful accession to the WTO.
“In addition to advancing the bilateral market access negotiations, the chair asked the WTO Secretariat to prepare a revised draft working party report based on new inputs received from Azerbaijan, and for Azerbaijan to submit an updated and revised legislative action plan along with copies of newly enacted legislation,” says the WTO message.
The chair added that the date for the next working party meeting would be fixed once these new inputs are received, according to the message.
Ilham Aliyev hails Azerbaijan-US relations in politics, economy, energy, security
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US State of Arizona Javan Mesnard.
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US State of Arizona Javan Mesnard said he has been in Azerbaijan already for a few days and has had an opportunity to familiarize himself with Baku and other regions.
“I am very happy to be in your marvelous country. Azerbaijan is a very beautiful country. I am visiting it for the first time. People show friendship and hospitability everywhere. I will share my impressions with everyone when I’m back to the US,” he said.
Javan Mesnard added that the majority of Arizona legislators heard much about Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev said that as Javan Mesnard has visited Baku and the regions he will be able to have wider information on the country.
The head of state noted that organizing more visits from the US to Azerbaijan is highly crucial in expanding the contacts between people and in the two nations’ knowing each other more closely.
The head of state hailed the bilateral relations in the areas of politics, economy, energy, security as well as the country’s cooperation with different US states. At the same time, President Ilham Aliyev noted that in some parts of the US, the society is not fully informed about Azerbaijan, stressing the importance of spreading the country’s realities.
Aug. 2
Ilham Aliyev opens two newly reconstructed highways
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the newly reconstructed Pirshaghi-Novkhani seaside road and Binagadi-Novkhani-Jorat highway.
Chairman of Azeravtoyol OJSC Saleh Mammadov informed the president about the work done there.
By joining the seaside ring road, Pirshaghi-Novkhani highway will ensure the convenient and unimpeded traffic from the city of Sumgayit to the northern and north-eastern parts of the Absheron peninsula.
The highway is 13.5 km in length. Under the project, the width of the two-lane road is 9 meters. In some areas along the coast, the width of the existing road has been expanded from 3-4 meters to 9 meters.
Under the project, the width of the highway was extended to 12.5 meters.
Aug. 3
Ilham Aliyev launches Balakan Hydroelectric Power Station
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Balakan Hydroelectric Power Station.
President of Azerenerji OJSC Etibar Pirverdiyev informed the head of state about the power station located on the Balakan River. He noted that, the foundation stone of the 1.5 MW-facility was laid in by President Ilham Aliyev in 2010.
In accordance with the project, 5.6m-high dam, maximum width of which at the bottom is 28 and on top is four meters, was constructed.
The power station, with the production capabilities of 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, will meet 15 percent of electricity needs of the district, as well as 25-30 percent of needs of the city of Balakan.
The head of the state has launched Balakan Hydroelectric Power Station.
More than 100 workers were engaged in the construction of the station. Extensive landscaping work was done, state-of-the-art lightning system was installed and green areas were created in the adjacent area.
EU to help increase business competitiveness of Azerbaijani district
The European Union (EU), as a part of the assistance program, will allocate 13.5 million euros for the development of fruit and vegetable growing in Azerbaijan’s Lankaran district, the EU local office said in a message.
According to the message, the program will be focused on improving competitiveness in the fruit and vegetable production sector.
The program will help in eliminating the challenges that the district faced in being competitive at the national and international levels, said the message.
The EU will work jointly with the Azerbaijani government to create a system of regional and strategic planning, a modern network of centers for economic and intercommunal cooperation, and to enhance the business environment and investment climate in the sector of fruit and vegetable production of the Lankaran district.
Ilham Aliyev views tobacco reception center in Gakh
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev viewed a tobacco reception center as part of his visit to Gakh district.
Ilham Aliyev arrives in Zagatala district
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Zagatala district on a visit.
The president laid flowers at a statue of the national leader in the Heydar Aliyev Park in the city of Zagatala.
Head of Zagatala District Executive Authority Mubariz Ahmadzade informed President Aliyev about the landscaping work carried out in the Heydar Aliyev Park.
Ilham Aliyev launches Bahmatli electrical substation in Zagatala
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of 110/35/10 KV Bahmatli electrical substation in Zagatala district.
Chairman of Azerishig Open Joint Stock Company Baba Rzayev informed the president of the technical indicators of the substation.
President Aliyev then launched the substation.
Ilham Aliyev views rose oil plant of AzRose LLC
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev familiarized himself with a rose oil plant of AzRose LLC, which is under construction in Zagatala.
President Aliyev met with representatives of local public and the plant's staff.
On behalf of representatives of local public, Ilhama Mehdiyeva and Khazangul Zeynalova thanked the president for care and attention.
President Aliyev then viewed rose plantations.
Hungarian pharm companies to expand activity in Azerbaijan
Several Hungarian pharmaceutical companies intend to expand their activity on the Azerbaijani market, by increasing supply of products.
Pharmaceutical production, one of the major areas of the Hungarian economy, is the main direction of Hungary’s exports to the east, including Azerbaijani market.
Hungary supplies 135 kinds of medicines to Azerbaijan, but there is even bigger potential for the development of cooperation in this sector.
Hungarian companies intend to present their offers during the meetings to be held in October of 2017, as a part of the scheduled meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation between two countries.
Previously, the Hungarian side proposed to establish cooperation between the Azerbaijani government and Hungarian Gedeon Richter Company.
Specific projects and proposals will be discussed during the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.
Official delegation led by Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev, co-chairing the commission from the Azerbaijani side, will leave for Budapest to attend the meeting.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto is the co-chairman of the commission from the Hungarian side.
Current bilateral economic relations and prospects for expanding economic cooperation will be discussed during the meeting.
Azerbaijan and Hungary outlined promising areas of cooperation during the negotiations at the level of foreign ministers, within the framework of Azerbaijani foreign minister’s official visit to Budapest last week.
The sides expressed interest in amplifying cooperation in such areas as transportation, agriculture, industry, education, pharmaceutics, etc.
According to the Azerbaijani Customs Committee, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary amounted to $16.308 million in January-June of 2017, $361,900 out of that amount accounted for exports from Azerbaijan, $15.95 million – for import.
Aug. 4
Ilham Aliyev chairs conference on development of sericulture, tobacco, hazelnut production in Gakh
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has chaired a republican conference on the development of sericulture, tobacco and hazelnut production in Gakh district.
The head of state made an opening speech at the event.
Speakers at the event included Head of Gakh District Executive Authority Musa Shakiliyev, Head of Shaki City Executive Authority Elkhan Usubov, chairman of the Board of Shaki Ipek OJSC Nizami Garibov, Head of Zagatala District Executive Authority Mubariz Ahmadzade, Head of Zardab District Executive Authority Lutvali Babayev, chairman of Hazelnut Producers and Exporters Association Ismayil Orujov, Head of Fuzuli District Executive Authority Ali Aliyev, head of Daghlar Farming in Zagatala district Telman Hasratov and Head of Balakan District Executive Authority Islam Rzayev.
President Ilham Aliyev made a closing speech at the conference.