Ambassador: China seeks to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan
By Rasana Gasimova
Azerbaijan and China enjoy good relations, and bilateral ties
are developing successfully in various fields. Currently, the
relations are going to enter a new phase within the Belt and Road
Initiative.
China intends to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan and take the
bilateral relations to a new level, Chinese Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Guo Min has said.
“The trade turnover between China and Azerbaijan reached $1,5
billion in January-August 2019. This is twice as much as that of
the same period in 2018. Baku considers relations with Beijing to
be a priority orientation of its foreign policy,” Min told in an
interview with Xinhua news agency.
Azerbaijan and China have intensified the exchange of high-level
visits since the beginning of 2019, the ambassador reminded. The
two countries have enhanced cooperation in trade, economy, energy,
transport and humanitarian spheres. Cooperation in all of these
spheres is highly fruitful.
“Azerbaijan fully supports 'One belt, one road' initiative and
takes an active part in it. This initiative goes well with
Azerbaijan’s national development strategy. Thanks to this,
bilateral practical cooperation in the trade, economy, transport,
energy and other fields is bearing fruits,” she said.
She recalled that the leaders of Azerbaijan and China reached an
important consensus on the further development of bilateral
relations and business cooperation in various fields on the
sidelines of the second international forum “One belt, one road”
held in April 2019.
“Prominent figures of art and culture of the two countries
exchanged visits, and several film festivals, art exhibitions and
other events aimed at active promotion of mutual understanding and
friendship between the people were held," Min added.
As for cooperation between the two states, it should be noted that
noticeable results have been achieved in the non-oil sector. The
deals signed in April 2019 include plans to construct the Sumgayit
Chemical-Industrial Park to produce automobile tires, a 300 hectare
greenhouse complex in Azerbaijan’s Kurdamir region, as well as
agro-industrial development parks in Guba, Goychay and Khachmaz
regions.
Moreover, within the tourism cooperation, memorandum of
understanding on the simplification of group trips of Chinese
tourists to Azerbaijan was signed in March 2018, which laid a legal
base for expanding cooperation in this area.
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