Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan and the United States explored avenues for expanding economic cooperation in a number of areas at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission held in Washington last Wednesday.

The commission`s US co-chairman, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Robert Hormats, said the U.S. is interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan and further deepening the friendly ties between the two countries.

Hormats praised Azerbaijan`s considerable economic successes achieved in recent years. He stressed that these successes have been accomplished thanks to the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Stressing that positive economic figures are reflected in the World Bank`s 2011 reports and appreciated by its experts, Hormats said that the United States welcomes the development of a modern economy in Azerbaijan that serves the interests of its citizens.

Our countries should boost cooperation not only in the energy sector, but also in non-oil sector fields, which meet the common interests. At the same time, Azerbaijan`s favorable location further increases the country`s importance as an international transport corridor, he said.

Hormats emphasized that US businessmen are interested in investing in many sectors of the Azerbaijani economy, saying that above all, it is necessary to establish a relevant national strategy.

Azerbaijani Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, the other co-chairman of the commission, said at the meeting that owing to joint efforts, the relations between Azerbaijan and the United States have been fully enhanced and deepened, and have reached the level of a strategic partnership. Sharifov said President Aliyev had instructed the intergovernmental commission`s members to step up efforts to further expand the relations between the two countries.

Sharifov expressed regret that Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act -- which was introduced in 1992 and bans direct US aid to Azerbaijan -- is still in force, saying the time has come to repeal it.

Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the U.S. and the fact that Section 907 is still in force is inadequate to the relations between the two countries, Sharifov said.

He said the U.S. should also revoke the outdated and discriminatory Jackson-Vanik Amendment.

The amendment, which was passed in 1974, banned establishing trade ties with the Soviet Union, which did not allow emigration of Jews. Though the USSR collapsed and the ban on Jewish emigration became invalid, the Jackson-Vanik Amendment was further applied to some [former Soviet] republics, Sharifov said.

The minister said the amendment`s being applied selectively raises certain questions. He said the US State Department should raise the issue before Congress and finally achieve its revocation.

US acting Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Patricia Hoffman, for her part, said the U.S. is interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan as part of its special programs on the protection of the global energy infrastructure.

As a major exporter of energy resources in the region, Azerbaijan has common goals with the United States, which is very important for us, Hoffman said.

She said that today there is a need to ensure more qualified protection of Azerbaijan`s energy infrastructure from earthquakes, potential terrorist attacks and similar threats.

The U.S. is willing to share with Azerbaijan its experience in this area, as safe transportation of Azerbaijani oil and gas to Europe is a shared goal for the two countries, Hoffman said.

The two countries cooperate in the energy sector under the oil and gas projects being implemented in Azerbaijan. Moreover, the U.S. is one of the importers of Azerbaijani oil.

Members of the Azerbaijani-US commission agreed to further expand bilateral cooperation in a slew of areas, including transport, aviation, infrastructure development, ICT, production and transportation of energy resources. They also agreed to collaborate more closely in tapping renewable sources of energy, in trade and investments, finance and financial management, pension reform, combat against corruption, money laundering and terror financing.

During the meeting of the Azerbaijani-US commission, the parties signed a grant agreement on the provision of technical assistance to opening a direct air service between the two countries. The document was signed by Azerbaijan`s State Civil Aviation Administration and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).