Estonia, Azerbaijan eager to establish joint production ventures
By Sara Israfilbayova
Estonia is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan to establish joint production ventures.
“One of the directions in which we can cooperate is mutual investment, joint production projects, so in the future we can export output to neighboring regions,” said Estonia's charge d'affaires ad interim in Azerbaijan Indrek Kiverik.
He went on to say that there is a number of Estonian companies that are prepared to invest in agriculture and the keeping of animals as well as in other fields for subsequent export to Central Asia, India and Turkey.
Kiverik pointed out that Estonian entrepreneurs are also interested in participating in logistics projects, joint carriage and transport services.
Diplomatic relations between the countries were established on June 20, 1992. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tallinn. Estonia is represented in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Ankara (Turkey).
Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Azerbaijan, along with Georgia and Armenia, is Estonia’s ally in South Caucasus.
About 15 agreements have been signed between the countries, 22 Estonian companies have been operating in Azerbaijan.
Approximately 2,500 Azerbaijanis live in Estonia.
Since 1990 an Azerbaijani Sunday school has been working in Tallinn, as well as there is Eastern Culture University in Tallinn which was named after Azerbaijani academician and ophthalmologist Zarifa Aliyeva.
Trade between the countries has been minimal during the past few years, but it has tremendous potential. The states intend to expand cooperation in IT and banking.
The trade turnover with Estonia amounted to $1.43 million in January-June 2017, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.
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