By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan and Argentina have signed an agreement to further boost technical cooperation on September 22 in Baku, the Azerbaijan Economy and Industry Ministry reported.
The document was signed by Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Argentinian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Religious Organizations Eduardo Zuain, during his visit to Baku.
During the meeting, the minister noted the successful development of Azerbaijan-Argentine relations, the importance of mutual visits, and the activities of the working group on trade and economic cooperation in the development of relations between the countries.
The two countries have outstanding potential for cooperation in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals, Mustafayev noted.
The Minister also informed the guest about the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands and once again reminded him that Armenia's aggressive policy hampers development in the region.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, causing a brutal war in the early 1990s.
The minister stressed that Argentina should take the appropriate measures to prevent the Argentine companies from doing business in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
In turn, Zuain noted the broad potential for building relations in various economic spheres.
He stressed the importance of the Azerbaijan-Argentine Working Group, which will host a meeting next year, as well as the need to organize meetings between businessmen of the two countries within the framework of the working group.
The two countries cooperate successfully in the fields of ICT and agriculture. Argentina's high-technologies company INVAP, engaged in the construction and delivery of complex equipment, does business with Azerbaijan’s space industry.
The sides are also interested in the joint development of agriculture in both countries. Argentina has recently achieved positive results in agriculture with the aid of modern technologies and intends to share this experience with Azerbaijan.
Trade between the two countries continues to grow. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Argentina amounted to $10.69 million in January-August 2015, which is almost 62 percent more than the same period last year, according to the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee.
Moreover, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Zuain on September 22 to sign an agreement on developing cultural relations.
The agreement will contribute to the development of cultural relations between the two countries, and to expand cooperation in the fields of music, art, and others.
In addition, during the meeting, an action plan was decided upon to facilitate the growth of cultural ties.
The diplomat also proposed that the cultural heritage of the two countries be presented in Baku and Buenos Aires.
Garayev praised the proposal and noted the necessity of organizing a study tour to Azerbaijan for representatives of the tourism industry in Argentina.
He also offered to translate works of Azerbaijani writers into the Spanish language to further develop cultural ties between the two countries.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
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