New industrialization stage to pave way for Azerbaijan to enter German market
By Aynur Jafarova
A new stage of industrialization underway in Azerbaijan will improve the competitiveness of Azerbaijani enterprises. This will allow them to enter the German market and invest in its economy, Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer told Trend Agency.
The Chairman of the Board of the German-Azerbaijani Forum said the experiences gained in the operation process of the Chemical Industrial Park in Sumgayit will pave the way for improving the potential of Azerbaijani companies in this sector.
"Azerbaijan was able to ensure the competitiveness of its economy and gave importance to the development of human capital, namely to professional education," Schleyer added.
He went on to say that small and medium sized companies are setting the basis of the German economy.
"Small and medium sized companies set the basis of the German economy. Their successful operations are due to this fact that they adapt quickly to new market conditions and are able to train specialists in the field of professional education. The totality of these two factors is the key to the success of the country's economy. We want to share our experiences with Azerbaijan in this field," Schleyer added.
Schleyer visited Azerbaijan as a member of a German delegation which included 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.
A diplomatic source told Trend Agency on September 8 that Chairman of the German Parliament's Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Ramsauer and Chairwoman of the Committee for Economic Cooperation and Development Dagmar Wöhrl will visit Azerbaijan in future.
The visit is an initiative set forth by the German side. It will take place on September 13-18. The visit's goal is to get acquainted with the economic capacity of Azerbaijan.
The committees' chairpersons will hold a series of meetings with officials at Azerbaijan's Economy and Industry, as well as Energy Ministries.
Another member of German Bundestag will also visit Azerbaijan, but there is yet no accurate information on this visit.
Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Germany were established in February 1992. Last year, trade turnover between the two countries increased by 25 percent and exceeded $2.2 billion. It made up $1.3 billion in the first half of the year.
The economic relations between the two countries are developing successfully. To date, 67 documents have been signed between Azerbaijan and Germany in various fields.
The Azerbaijani-German Chamber of Foreign Trade established in 2012 in Baku is the second in the CIS space and plays an important role in the expansion of economic cooperation and trade relations between the two countries.
Germany is fourth among Azerbaijan's foreign trade partners. The country invested around $500 million in Azerbaijan's fixed capital in 2002-2013.
Currently, some 177 companies with German investment are operating in Azerbaijan's commercial, construction, industrial, banking, insurance, agriculture, as well as service sectors.
Also, Azerbaijan has sent about 200 entrepreneurs and young managers to various German cities in 2009-2014 to take training courses within a joint program to upgrade their skills in business management.