Minister: Azerbaijan, Poland possess great potential to increase trade turnover

The 8th meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Poland was held today in Baku, Azernews reports.

Co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Poland, Azerbaijan’s Emergencies Minister Col-Gen Kamaladdin Heydarov, and the co-chairman of the same commission from Poland, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technologies of Poland, State Secretary Grzegorz Pechowiak, and members of the commission participated at the meeting.

Kamaladdin Heydarov made a speech at the meeting and noted that Azerbaijan and Poland have great potential to increase trade turnover. There is a suitable environment for investments in various areas of Azerbaijan's economy, transport, tourism, and a number of other areas.

He spoke about the Azerbaijani Trading House opened in 2018 and noted its importance in terms of promoting Azerbaijani products in Central and Eastern Europe.

"Both Azerbaijan and Poland periodically hold various events aimed at the development of bilateral economic cooperation. Also, I would like to note that a road map aimed at the development of bilateral relations has also been signed between our countries," he said.

He noted that Azerbaijan has done great work for the last ten years.

"Today, our government is successfully implementing projects in the fields of transport, energy, and agriculture," he said.

K. Heydarov said that the parties should expand and strengthen cooperation in the field of economic partnership.

"I want to note that after the liberation of our lands from the Armenian occupation, we have opened a new page in the development of our country. In addition, we are creating great opportunities for the development of a number of countries in our region. As you know, large-scale reconstruction works are being carried out in Karabakh. As regards the participation of the Polish side in the restoration of our territories freed from occupation, we invite you to make an investment," he said.

He also spoke about the Alat Free Economic Zone and told that AFAT will create new opportunities for the development of the economy and especially for the expansion of cooperation with the business environment of Poland.

Later State Secretary Grzegorz Pechowiak made a speech, and spoke about the friendly relations between the two countries, adding that the relations are developing at the level of strategic partnership.

He added that between Poland and Azerbaijan, there are good opportunities for expanding relations in various directions, including logistics and transport, energy, construction, agriculture and processing of agricultural products, agrotechnology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, IT industry, etc.

Reminding that a positive trend was observed in the trade turnover between the two countries last year, G. Pechowiak expressed hope that mutual trade will develop even more dynamically.

At the meeting, there was a broad exchange of views on other issues of mutual interest.

At the end of the meeting, the "Protocol of the 8th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Poland" was signed. The protocol was signed by the co-chairs of the Commission - Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamaladdin Heydarov and Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technologies of the Republic of Poland, State Secretary Grzegorz Pechowiak.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the economic zones of Azerbaijan and Poland at the meeting. The chairman of the management board of the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ) Valeh Alasgarov and the director of the special economic zone INVEST-PARK in Valbjikh Mariush Tomchak inked the Memorandum.