President: Azerbaijan's efforts to open regional links proceed as planned [UPDATE]

President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan’s efforts to open transport and communication links are proceeding as planned.

He made the remarks while receiving Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk.

“A 60-kilometer section of the railway had already been built in Azerbaijan and would be completed next year. Azerbaijan is also progressing work on the construction of an automobile road in accordance with a plan,” he said.

The president highlighted that unfortunately, no action has been taken by Armenia in this regard, as it has not yet determined the geographical coordinates of the highway route to pass through its territory.

“Despite the fact that Azerbaijan has repeatedly raised this issue, Armenia has not responded,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the activities of the trilateral commission chaired by the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian deputy prime ministers and the opening of transport and communication lines would be discussed during Alexei Overchuk’s visit to Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the activities of the intergovernmental state commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, Aliyev expressed hope that the commission meeting would review the work done, discuss potential areas of cooperation apart from the traditional ones, including the expansion of trade and services, and define new areas of cooperation.

In turn, Overchuk recalled with satisfaction that this year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Russian-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations.

He stressed the importance of the declaration on allied interaction between Azerbaijan and Russia signed by the presidents of the two countries.

The sides also discussed issues of cooperation in trade and economic, transport, transit, logistics, finance, banking, energy, oil and gas spheres.