Baku, Tbilisi review financial, customs partnership

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Ambassador Faig Guliyev and Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili have discussed bilateral cooperation of the two countries' financial and customs authorities, Azertag has reported.

Noting that relations between the two countries are progressing well in all areas, the ambassador emphasized that Azerbaijan places a high value on relations with Georgia.

The importance of reciprocal visits between Azerbaijan and Georgia in terms of expanding cooperation in various fields and facilitating the implementation of new projects was emphasized during the meeting.

The parties agreed that Azerbaijan and Georgia's relations have progressed to the level of strategic partnership, noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

They also emphasized the value of bilateral economic, transit, and transportation cooperation.

In this context, they emphasized the significance of the agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Georgia on state border crossing points during the 8th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which will take place in September 2021.

The parties exchanged information on the implementation of the agreement's provisions on customs cooperation, as well as the construction of a new integrated customs point between the two countries.

Simultaneously, they emphasized the significance of the "Protocol on the establishment of the trilateral customs committee between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey", which was signed in October 2021.

Both the ambassador and the minister stated that there are numerous opportunities to improve the exchange of information between the two countries' relevant government agencies and to improve the efficiency of customs procedures.

Furthermore, they noted that Azerbaijan and Georgia work closely within the framework of international organizations and exchanged views on customs authorities' coordination in trade and transit between the two countries and the region as a whole in the event of a pandemic.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are collaborating in a variety of economic fields. Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a number of cooperation agreements in 2021 as part of a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.

Simultaneously, as part of the trilateral business forum held in Baku in December 2021, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey signed five memorandums and agreements on cooperation.

In January-November 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $684.8 million, with exports accounting for $591.8 million and imports accounting for $92.9 million.