Business news

MINSK, 15 December (BelTA) – A draft roadmap to guide cooperation between Belarus and Azerbaijan has been prepared, BelTA learned from Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko as he met with an Azerbaijani delegation led by Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev on 15 December.

Vladimir Semashko said that as a result of the recent talks in Baku the presidents of Belarus and Azerbaijan gave a number of specific instructions, including the instruction to prepare a draft roadmap to guide the development of bilateral relations. The roadmap is expected to include all the instructions the presidents have given, specific accomplishments of ministries, companies, and individual businessmen. The roadmap has already been drafted, said the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus. The final document is supposed to be agreed by 31 January 2017.

According to the source, raising Belarus-Azerbaijan trade to at least $700 million will be the main purpose of the roadmap.

The Azerbaijani delegation held a number of negotiations in Belarus on 15 December. Members of the delegation are expected to participate in a business meeting at premises of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 16 December. “A large number of businessmen have arrived from Azerbaijan. Belarusian government agencies and the private sector are also interested in cooperation. We are ready to fully implement all the fundamental agreements of the presidents for the benefit of the two countries and nations. Our economies are mutually complementary. The two countries have something to offer to each other. The roadmap will reflect it,” added Vladimir Semashko.

Shahin Mustafayev noted that the Azerbaijani government places a great emphasis on the development of ties with Belarus. “We have arrived in Minsk after the visit of the Belarus president to Azerbaijan for the sake of fulfilling the tasks set by the heads of state. We have to raise the bilateral trade volume to $700 million. It is a difficult yet feasible task,” believes the Azerbaijani Economy Minister.