Azerbaijan, appropriate country for German investors
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan has good opportunities to attract German companies for investment in various infrastructural projects.
The remark was made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with a visiting German delegation on September 2.
The German delegation included Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer the Chairman of the Board of the German-Azerbaijani Forum, former Secretary General of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts, former State Secretary, as well as Karin Strenz, the MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with the States of the Southern Caucasus, Raynold Robben, the Chair of the German-Israeli Society, Michael-Andreas Butz, the Secretary General of the German-Azerbaijani Forum, former Secretary of State, and Rainer Lindner, the CEO of the Eastern Committee of German Economy.
The parties discussed a wide range of issues, including the development of German-Azerbaijani relations on various fronts, particularly in political, economic, energy, investment and infrastructure, settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the latest regional and global developments.
The head of state also said Azerbaijan and Germany are actively cooperating in different fields of economy and stressed the importance of the business forum that was held as part of his visit to Germany.
Hailing the activities of the German-Azerbaijani Forum, the head of state emphasized its importance in terms of raising the German society's awareness of Azerbaijan's realities and achievements.
Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer, for his part, said bilateral relations between the two countries are successfully developing.
Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Germany were established in February 1992. The Azerbaijani-German trade turnover amounted to $1.744 billion in 2012. In the first half of 2013, the figure was $1.066 billion.
There are over 100 German companies in Azerbaijan. German companies have also acted as contractors in 10 investment projects worth more than 460 million euros.