Azernews.Az

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has offered his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev visiting Belarus to tackle more scalable joint projects, BELTA news agency reported.
"The strategic task at the present stage is to take on more scalable joint projects both in Azerbaijan and Belarus – even in the current challenging conditions of the world financial-economic crisis, while at times making unconventional decisions. The basis for this has already been created," Lukashenko said in a meeting with President Aliyev on Thursday.
Lukashenko recalled that an agreement had been reached with his counterpart in 2006 to set up production of Belarusian vehicles in Azerbaijan. Presently, Belarusian tractors and MAZ trucks are assembled at the automobile plant in the country’s northwestern city of Ganja.
Lukashenko believes the two countries can further develop their cooperation by realizing ideas on establishing manufacturing of cranes, elevators and hinged agricultural machinery.
"We have accumulated extensive experience in upgrading industries and are ready to share it with our Azerbaijani friends. We have agreed with the Azerbaijani president to shift from simple forms of trade to establishing joint production in Azerbaijan and Belarus."
Lukashenko said bilateral trade has increased 11-fold in the past few years, however, the two countries’ potential has not yet been fully capitalized upon. According to him, the figure could be brought to $500 million in the next three to four years.
President Aliyev said Azerbaijan and Belarus are enforcing all bilateral agreements reached on a high level swiftly and effectively, which increases mutual confidence between the two countries and opens up new prospects for cooperation.
The Azerbaijani leader said Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations are developing very dynamically and efficiently, also noting that bilateral commodities turnover has surged despite the global recession. Aliyev said that, as a result of his official visit to Belarus, the two countries will be able not only to strengthen partnership but also to explore new areas of cooperation.
Azerbaijan and Belarus signed six cooperation agreements during Aliyev’s visit. Presidents Aliyev and Lukashenko inked a joint declaration. The documents also included agreements on national security, archiving and one between the two countries’ border services. The sides also agreed to cooperate on youth policy and put pen to a protocol on collaboration in the field of education in 2009 and 2010.*