Azernews.Az

BAKU – Ukraine is interested in implementing investment projects jointly with Azerbaijan, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Wednesday, according to Ukraine’s government.

Azarov said in a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Kyiv that experts are currently working on joint projects. He said one of the projects envisions building a new oil refinery on the Black Sea coast to refine Azerbaijani crude. Also, Ukraine is seeking to buy compressed gas from the South Caucasus republic, and a feasibility study is being developed for the construction of a terminal to store compressed gas near the Ukrainian town of Odessa at the Black Sea.

Azarov added that Ukraine’s Naftogaz company plans to be involved in the exploration of Azerbaijan’s hydrocarbon reserves.

During the Mammadyarov-Azarov meeting, the two countries decided to conduct a meeting of the intergovernmental commission in April or May, prior to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich’s visit to Baku. The sides also reached agreement to hold a business forum and organize exhibitions focusing on agriculture and other fields to further enhance cooperation between the two countries.

President Yanukovich is due to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan this year. A date of the visit has not yet been reported.

During his visit to Ukraine, the Azerbaijani foreign minister also met with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko, the Azerbaijani ministry reported.

At a meeting with Lytvyn, Mammadyarov discussed political and economic issues. The sides stressed a high level of cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian parliaments, and emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. They also highly assessed the work of parliamentary friendship groups in both countries.

A high level of political relations between the two countries and cooperation within international organizations was stressed during Mammadyarov’s meeting with Grishchenko. The ministers stressed the dynamic expansion of economic cooperation, particularly that in the energy sector. The meeting also focused on the development of relations in the humanitarian field.