Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani and Turkish high-ranking officials have hailed the development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Ali Babacan, the Turkish deputy prime minister, who visited Baku for a regional business forum, noted that stable and reliable cooperation exists between Turkey and Azerbaijan as he met Azerbaijani Premier Artur Rasizade on May 12, AzerTac news agency reported.

Babacan highlighted further prospects of cooperation in a variety of areas. He also briefed the Azerbaijani Premier on the issues on the agenda of a regional business forum within the G-20 platform in Baku.

Rasizade, for his part, hailed Azerbaijani-Turkish ties, saying “they have reached the level of strategic partnership”.

He also stressed the importance of further strengthening political, economic and cultural relations, saying this positively impacts bilateral cooperation in the fields of transport, communications, energy and trade.

Ogtay Asadov, Azerbaijan’s parliament speaker also met the Turkish delegation led by Babacan.

They hailed “friendly and fraternal” relations as well as inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

Asadov said “such visits and meetings” would contribute to the development of bilateral relations, adding the heads of state play a vital role in developing bilateral ties.

He further highlighted the development of economic ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Asadov applauded cooperation between the two countries` legislative bodies, saying Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations share common views and support each other in international forums.

Babacan expressed satisfaction with his meetings held in Baku. He praised Azerbaijani-Turkish ties, saying they were important in terms of ensuring peace and progress in the region.

He emphasized the significance of further boosting economic ties.

Babacan also praised the holding of the First European Games in Baku that will take place on June 12-28.

Azerbaijan-Turkey relations have always been strong due to a common culture and history and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani languages.

Turkey was the first country in the world to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity, and realize its economic potential that arise from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.

--

Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz