Azerbaijan, Qatar set to increase trade
By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade
The second meeting of the Azerbaijan-Qatar Intergovernmental Economic Commission (IGC) was held in Doha, Report informs.
The commission is headed by the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and by the Azerbaijani Minister of Emergency Situations, Kamaladdin Heydarov.
During the meeting, the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the positive results of the first meeting in the framework of strengthening bilateral relations. He recalled that this year marks 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Doha and Baku.
He stated that the visit of Emir of Qatar, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in 2016 to Baku and the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Qatar, Doha in 2017 contributed to the deepening of bilateral relations.
The Deputy Prime Minister highly appreciated the participation of Azerbaijan at the international exhibition IPEC, which was held in Doha in October last year.
The Azerbaijani minister also noted the role of high-level visits to strengthen bilateral ties, in particular, the signing of a number of bilateral agreements during the visits. He noted that the activities of companies in both countries also contribute to the expansion of trade and opening of new opportunities for cooperation.
During the meeting, the sides discussed issues of increasing trade, the exchange of visits of delegations, representatives of chambers of commerce, businessmen, the private sector, as well as the organization of joint trade events for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Touching upon relations between Azerbaijan and Qatar, it is important to note that agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed between the two countries in such areas as economics, trade, agriculture and investment promotion.
Promising spheres for the development of cooperation include tourism and culture. For Qatari citizens, a simplified visa regime is applied and the number of visitors to our country is growing. It creates a special opportunity for ties between our peoples. Direct flights have been established, which give impetus to the development of tourism and lead, in turn, to the formation of even closer relations between the countries.
Both countries have built their economies on energy supplies - the share of oil and gas in exports of Azerbaijan and Qatar varies within 90 percent. But in the current realities of low oil prices, the diversification of the economy comes to the fore, especially with the attraction of foreign investors and the expansion of trade partnerships. Therefore, now the cooperation between the two oil countries may become more relevant than ever.
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