Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan mull co-op in defense industry
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have discussed the prospects of cooperation in the defense industry field.
The discussions were held during the meeting of Azerbaijani Defense Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov and the Kazakh delegation led by Defense Minister Serik Akhmetov, who is on a two-day official visit to Baku.
During the meeting Jamalov informed the delegation about the activities of the Azerbaijan's Defense Industry Ministry.
The Kazakh delegation also visited several facilities of the Defense Industry Ministry, and became closely familiar with the production process.
Earlier Akhmetov was received by President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.
This is Akhmetov's first foreign visit in his new position. Akhmetov was appointed the country's defense minister on April 3. He used to serve as Kazakh Prime Minister before.
Azerbaijanis and Kazakhs are both Turkic-speaking nations and share close historical, religious, and cultural ties. Both are the littoral states of the Caspian Sea and possess a common maritime border.
About 130,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis live in Kazakhstan.
A solid legal basis has been established between the two countries. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have signed more than 90 documents, including 20 documents in the economic field, particularly in double taxation. These documents positively affect the development of trade relations between the two countries.