Azerbaijan, Bulgaria sign declaration on strategic partnership
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who is on official visit to Sofia, and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria on March 4.
The two presidents met at a one-on-one meeting.
The sides expressed their satisfaction with the successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in the political, economic, energy, humanitarian, cultural and other areas, and stressed the importance of high-level reciprocal visits.
It was noted that President Aliyev’s official visit to Bulgaria would make a huge contribution toward the ongoing strengthening of bilateral ties. They also noted big prospects and good opportunities for the expansion of such cooperation.
The parties also exchanged views over bilateral relations and international issues.
Following, Aliyev and Plevneliev held an expanded meeting, during which, the sides noted that the strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria was developing successfully.
The role of Azerbaijan in ensuring the energy security of Europe was noted.
The parties exchanged views over the Azerbaijan-European Union collaboration, and prospects for cooperation in investment making, energy, TAP and TANAP strategic projects, information and communication technologies, pharmaceutics, food products, tourism, infrastructure and other areas.
Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are developing friendly relations after Bulgaria recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in January 1992.
The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in June, 1992. The embassy of Bulgaria in Azerbaijan was opened in December 1999.
The potential trade turnover between the two countries does not correspond with the existing turnover. For the nine months of 2014 the trade turnover between them amounted at $123 million, according to the Azerbaijan State Statistics Committee.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
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