Azerbaijan interested in participating in Tomsk region's projects
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan is interested in participating in various projects underway in Russia's Tomsk region.
The news was announced by President of Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) Rufat Mammadov at the Azerbaijani-Russian business forum held in Baku on July 15.
"The industrial sectors in which Azerbaijani entrepreneurs are traditionally strong include light industries, furniture manufacturing, construction, chemistry and oil chemistry," he said.
Mammadov also informed the participants about the economic successes achieved by Azerbaijan in the past 10 years, as well as conducted reforms.
He noted Azerbaijan has created favorable business conditions for entrepreneurs.
"Furthermore, the country has established some industrial parks of various purposes. The residents of these parks receive significant tax benefits and have free access to infrastructure and communications," Mammadov said inviting Russia to take part in the projects.
Director of the Center for Development of Foreign Economic Activities of the Tomsk Trade and Industry Chamber Alexander Belyayev, in turn, said Tomsk region is one of the dynamically developing regions of Russia.
"The region is traditionally strong in production of oil and gas, engineering, high technologies and others. Also, a special economic zone has been operating in the region since 2006. The zone began the establishment of a large industrial park last year," he said.
During the business forum, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement of intend between medical centers operating in Azerbaijan and Tomsk.
The Azerbaijani-Russian business forum was organized by Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry Ministry in partnership with AZPROMO. It brought together representatives of about 60 companies from both countries specializing in a variety of fields, including agriculture, industry, construction, consulting, and tourism.
Russia is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan in the CIS. Over the past ten years, the volume of Azerbaijan's investment in Russia's economy amounted to around $1 billion, $200 million of which fell on 2013.
Azerbaijani companies have invested more than $1 billion in the Russian economy so far. There are nearly 70 companies with the Russian capital in Azerbaijan. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $755.45 million in January-May 2014.