Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

Armenia’s aggressive policy against Azerbaijan creates serious obstacles for expanding economic cooperation in the region, Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said.

The remark was made during the plenary session within the framework of the 29th annual meeting of the EBRD Board of Directors, held in the format of a videoconference with the participation of representatives of the EBRD member countries and international organizations.

Minister noted that Armenia launched another provocation against Azerbaijan on September 27, the main goal of which is civilian population and facilities.

“To ensure the security of its citizens, Azerbaijan, within the framework of international humanitarian law, is conducting a counteroffensive operation on its territory. The occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan by Armenian armed forces is a real threat to peace and security in the region,” he said.

Moreover, the minister stressed that the world community should demonstrate a principled position based on international law and norms, strongly condemn Armenia’s provocation against Azerbaijan and force the aggressor country to fulfill its obligations under humanitarian and international law.

Speaking about the importance of developing Azerbaijan's relations with the EBRD, the minister stressed that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of relations with the bank. He added that the EBRD has always been a reliable and important partner for Azerbaijan. By joining the EBRD donor community in November 2019, Azerbaijan has further strengthened its partnership with the EBRD.

Moreover, Jabbarov informed about large-scale social and economic support measures taken in the country to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, noting that in post-pandemic period the main priority is development of digital economy, agriculture and processing industry, construction, mining, petrochemical, transport and logistics, trade, tourism and others.

It was noted that Azerbaijan has sufficient resources to adequately withstand new challenges, as well as appreciates the support measures offered by international financial institutions, including the EBRD, and in this context the EBRD "Solidarity Package" should be particularly noted.

The parties exchanged views on the strategic directions of the EBRD, approved the strategy and capital framework for 2021-2025, and determined the institutional composition of the EBRD Board of Directors for the next year.

It should be noted that the plenary session was devoted to the opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EBRD in the development of the private sector, especially small and medium businesses, privatization, increasing the competitiveness and transparency of public enterprises, expanding public-private partnerships and developing the digital economy.

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