Baku, Moscow discussing initiatives for cooperation, including in oil and gas sector - Azerbaijani PM

BAKU. Nov 13 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan and Russia are considering a number of new initiatives for cooperation, in particular, in the oil and gas sector, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said during talks with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Baku.

"The parties are considering a number of new mutually profitable initiatives. Azerbaijan is the birthplace of oil and gas [...] this [track] was relevant yesterday, is relevant now and will be relevant for a long time. And Russia is a leader in many positions in the energy sector," Asadov said.

He said he wanted to emphasize cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector. "Our interaction is developing positively here and on many tracks," Asadov said, adding that a whole number of leading Russian oil and gas companies are working in the country.

"We traditionally have very fruitful cooperation with these companies," Asadov said.

Asadov also said that "Russia is an important partner to us in the agroindustrial sector." "It concerns the export of our products and import of Russian agricultural products to Azerbaijan," he said.

The export of agricultural products from Azerbaijan to Russia increased by more than nine percent in 2023 and by more than 12% this year, Asadov said. "Russia, for its part, is also a reliable partner. We import at least one million tonnes of wheat from Russia, and it will be almost 900,000 tonnes in the first ten months of 2024, and this figure will be increasing," Asadov said.

Azerbaijan imports many fertilizers from Russia, he said. "It imported 107,000 tonnes in the eight months of this year," he said.

The Azerbaijani prime minister generally spoke about the "good dynamics" in bilateral relations with Russia. "Azerbaijan is committed to further strengthening and enhancing good-neighborly relations and mutually profitable cooperation and strategic partnership with Russia," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Baku in August gave good dynamics to bilateral relations, in particular, in the trade and economic sphere, Asadov said. "Judging by the dynamics of mutual trade growth, it can be assumed that a new record will be set this year: according to our data, our trade reached $3.5 billion over nine months," he said.

Mishustin agreed that the development of transport infrastructure is an important track of bilateral cooperation. He said that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, who attended the talks, was actively working on the western route of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which runs through the territory of Azerbaijan.

"It will increase cargo transportation volumes and will expand the geography of commodity flows, reach the growing markets of the global South - the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia - through the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean," Mishustin said.

He also spoke about the large projects in transport machine-building between the two countries. Mishustin said Russia and Azerbaijan are increasing trade in national currencies.

In closing, the Russian prime minister gave his Azerbaijani counterpart best wishes from Russian President Vladimir Putin.