Bulgarian, Azeri Speakers discuss boosting trade cooperation

BTA web site
28 Sep 04

Sofia, 28 September: A branch that would supply Bulgaria and other
European countries could be added to the currently constructed
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export oil pipeline, the Speaker of the Azerbaijan
National Assembly Murtuz Aleskerov told journalists after his meeting
with National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdzhikov.

Alekserov, who is currently on a four-day visit to Bulgaria,
underscored that the matter whether the pipeline from Azerbaijan to
Western Europe will pass through Bulgaria should be resolved on the
level of ministers of the two countries. The Speaker of the Azerbaijan
parliament noted that the ministers who accompany President Georgi
Purvanov on his forthcoming October visit to Azerbaijan will discuss
the problem.

Gerdzhikov announced that a desire to step up bilateral relations
had been declared at the meeting. We found that trade and economic
relations are at a low level, he said. In Gerdzhikov’s words, this
is unusual since Azerbaijan is a major producer of oil and gas,
while Bulgaria imports these commodities. Gerdzhikov also noted that
Bulgaria is also interested in enhancing transport cooperation on
both a bilateral basis and within the multilateral agreement on the
Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRASECA) transport corridor. Both parties are
in favour of boosting relations in all fields, which is in the context
of our common European and Euro-Atlantic integration, he added.

Murtuz Aleskerov pointed out that an intergovernmental commission was
set up in 1995 with the aim of developing trade and economic relations
between the two countries but trade still hasn’t reached the necessary
level. He pointed out that political, cultural and technological
relations had also been discussed. “We came to the conclusion that
it is necessary to step up parliamentary exchange between the two
countries,” the Speaker of Azerbaijan National Assembly said. Alekserov
added that he had invited Ognyan Gerdzhikov to pay an official visit
to Azerbaijan. Alekserov also said the matter of Nagorny Karabakh had
been touched upon. We share the opinion that this problem should be
resolved on the basis of international law and taking into account
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia, he added.

Later in the day the Azerbaijan National Assembly Speaker and
the delegation he heads were received by Prime Minister Simeon
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Talks centred on the development and deepening of
bilateral relations, with a stress on trade and economic cooperation,
the government press office said. The opinion that all aspects of
Bulgarian-Azeri relations should be boosted, as well as cooperation
on an international scale, was expressed during the meeting. Raising
parliamentary relations between the two countries up to the necessary
high level will contribute to this process, Alekserov pointed out.
From: Baghdasarian