We’re interested in strategic projects in Azerbaijan: Gargash

UAE and Azerbaijan discuss ways of enhancing friendship and cooperation, particularly in economic and investment areas

DUBAI: The UAE is keen on various strategic projects in Azerbaijan, according to Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

“The more we can build in terms of economic logistics, the more we can do things together, and the more Azerbaijani products can arrive in the UAE, which is not only a big market, but is a major transnational hub,” Dr Gargash told Azertac, the Azerbaijan State News Agency, in an interview on Friday.

“We are very interested in many strategic projects in Azerbaijan,” he added.

The interview follows Gargash’s meeting with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Wednesday, during the two-day Non- Aligned Movement Mid-Term Ministerial Conference, which was held in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

The two discussed ways of enhancing friendship and cooperation, particularly in economic and investment areas.

Hailing the growing tourists flow from the UAE to Azerbaijan, Gargash said that recently there has been a strong growth in the number people from the UAE visiting Azerbaijan. “We are one of the largest groups that go as tourists to Azerbaijan, about 120,000 last year.”

The UAE is also looking to extend the areas of cooperation in investment and trade in Azerbaijan, Gargash said. “We have many ideas and projects that are basically being worked on. We have very good flight connections between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Baku, which is excellent.”

Highlighting areas for possible expansion of cooperation, Gargash said, while the economic cooperation is good, there is still a lot to do in terms of investment, etc. “Our economic cooperation is moving along the right path. There is still more work to do. We have signed many agreements that framed this cooperation whether it is double taxation, protection of investment, and agreements in various other areas. This cooperation is only going and developing positively,” he said, as quoted by Azertac.

“We are looking at cooperation in many other areas. We will see more of that in the coming period.”

The most important part in Azerbaijani-UAE relationship, reported Azertac, quoting the minister, is that “both countries really look towards the future in investing in human capital, in presenting what is quite a modern view, what is essential in Muslim societies”.

“Clearly, what we have seen in Azerbaijan and what we see in the UAE is an example that you can be a Muslim state and a modern state at the same time. I think this success that we see in Azerbaijan and the UAE is an example also to many other Muslim people and governments that we can actually achieve both,” Gargash was quoted as saying.