BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/01/2008

Belarus intends to facilitate relationships with Azerbaijan in agriculture sector

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Az Azerbaijan-Belarus Business Forum has been held today with support of the Ministry of Economic Development of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Foundation of Export & Investment Promotion (Azpromo).

At the event deputy minister of economic development Niazi Safarov of Azerbaijan said that the meeting is conducted within bilateral economic and political relationships between the two countries.

"Azerbaijani economy is ongoing its rapid development that promotes to increase of confidence of international financial institutions to Azerbaijan. From 1995 to 2007 country's economy was invested $42 billion and 70% of this amount fell on the share of foreign investments. In the 1st half of 2007 alone investments in Azerbaijani economy reached $4 billion," Safarov said.

The Forum theme was agriculture and farm products.

"Despite precisely oil sector make main contribution to country's economy, at present Azerbaijan has great potential to develop its agriculture sector," Safarov said.

Nadezhda Kotkovets, first deputy minister of agriculture and food of Belarus, said that her country's delegation visiting Baku now is targeting to sign direct agriculture agreements.

"Currently our bipartite trade and economic links with Azerbaijan are at primary stage. Belarus great attention to agriculture development, whose share makes 17.2% of country's GDP and we are going to expand to the large extent ties with Azerbaijan in this sector," Kotkovets said.

The Forum involved 15 and 35 employers on behalf of Belarus and Azerbaijan respectively.

Source:

http://abc.az/eng/news_11_01_2008_20423.html