Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Serbia is interested in simplifying the visa regime with Azerbaijan, Serbian Ambassador to Azerbaijan said on February 14.

"This issue was discussed during consular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries," Zoran Vajovic said.

The two countries have already simplified the visa regime for individuals with diplomatic and service passports.

Touching on the bilateral relations between the two countries, Vajovic said the main event in 2013 was the first official visit that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic paid to Baku on February 7-9, 2013.

During the visit, Serbia and Azerbaijan signed various bilateral documents, including a joint declaration on friendship and strategic partnership. The legal basis of Azerbaijani-Serbian relations currently includes 26 international agreements.

Vajovic also noted that Serbia and Azerbaijan support each other in the international arena as well. The two countries respect the supremacy of international law principles such as territorial integrity and state sovereignty.

"The position of Azerbaijan and Serbia is that all the conflicts should be resolved on the basis of the norms of international law and decisions and resolutions of international organizations," he noted.

The diplomat emphasized that since the establishment of the diplomatic missions of Serbia and Azerbaijan, trade turnover between the two countries has significantly increased.

"If trade turnover amounted to several million euros in 2010, it increased to 40 million euros in 2012, and then reached 60 million euros in 2013, and included project-construction, engineering, transportation and installation of different equipment and materials, internal and external facilities, equipment for oil and gas industry, and also furniture and construction materials," he said.

Vajovic said the total amount of contracts exceeds 450 million euros, including bilateral strategic economic agreements and joint work on infrastructure projects in defense industry.

One of such important projects is the joint construction of parts of the highway that passes through the territory of Central Serbia, the Corridor 11 projects in which the Azerbaijani company AzVirt is the general contractor, he stressed. Azerbaijan has allocated a loan of 308 million euros to the highway's construction.

Vajovic went on to note that the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission will be held on March 3-5 in Belgrade.

The intergovernmental commission is co-headed by Azerbaijani Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Lyaich.

"So far, Azerbaijan and Serbia have held four business forums which were attended by over 600 persons. During Nikolic's visit to Baku in February 2013, a round-table was organized with the participation of Azerbaijani business circles who introduced projects on the establishment of free trade zones in Chachak and Kraljevo," the diplomat said.

Vajovic also stressed that Azerbaijan and Serbia are developing ties in education, cultural, and health care spheres.

He believes that bilateral political relations between Serbia and Azerbaijan are at a very high level.