Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan and Ukraine pledged to boost their strategic partnership after talks held by their leaders in Baku on Thursday.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Viktor Yanukovich signed a relevant joint statement following a meeting of the joint presidential council, along with a five-year cooperation plan, Azerbaijan’s state news agency AzerTAj reported.

Addressing the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Ukrainian Presidents Council, Aliyev highlighted the development of political dialog between the two countries. Aliyev said a further expansion of bilateral relations will facilitate boosting cooperation in the region.

President Yanukovich in turn said Ukraine and Azerbaijan have long maintained a strategic partnership. "I would say that Ukrainian-Azerbaijani ties are a shining example of relations between two very close countries."

Yanukovich stressed the effective work of the inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation, citing as an example of these efforts the fact that bilateral trade turnover hit a record high in 2010. "But this is by far not the limit. I am confident that we have broader opportunities to boost our trade further."

Yanukovich also welcomed the fact that Ukraine has become Azerbaijan’s second biggest trading partner, next only to Russia.