PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY MEET AT ENLARGED FORMAT

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006

After their private meeting, President Ilham Aliyev and President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer met in enlarged format.

Once again greeting the President of Turkey and the Turkish delegation,
President Ilham Aliyev said he attached great importance to this
visit. ‘Out unity is an important factor both for our countries and
for the region’, he emphasized. The historical ties connecting us, the
cultural links play great role in the present. At the same time, our
political relations are high level. The Turkish-Azeri relations also
cover the power sector – one of the important fields for globe. The
large-scale energy projects in this field connect us closely. I am
convinced, President Aliyev noted, that this visit and our meeting
here will fuehrer strengthen out unity, Turkey and Azerbaijan —
the two fraternal countries will come closer.

As you know, we have active political dialogue. All questions are
actively discussed, and our trade links are well developed. We have
reached accomplishments in all fields, and we have joint programs
also in cultural and humanitarian sphere and they are successfully
implemented. I am confident, that and this visit will play certain
role and be very successful.

President of Turkey Ahmet Necdet Sezer expressed deep gratitude for
rendered hospitality and conveyed hi pleasure with the held meetings in
Baku. He, in particular, said the trade turnover between two countries
would make over billion dollars current year. Opportunities for that
are available, he stressed.

Noting the interest of businessmen to Azerbaijan, President of
Turkey said the Turkish businessmen have invested in Azerbaijan some
2,2 billion dollars and ‘we are convinced, that this figure will go
up’, he underlined. In particular, investments of the Turkish “Turk
Petrollari” Company will make 4,5 billion dollars.

In the meeting, also discussed were the questions of peaceful
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
the regional and international projects.