Bilateral agreements signed as part of Russian Prime Minister's visit

Baku/18.11.22/Turan: During Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's first visit to Azerbaijan, Baku hosted the XI Azerbaijan-Russian inter-regional forum in Baku on November 17.

This was followed by talks between the heads of governments of the two countries - Ali Asadov and Mikhail Mishustin.

As a result of the meeting a number of bilateral agreements were signed as follows:

1. Inter-governmental agreement on information cooperation in the field of combating money laundering and financing terrorism in cross-border movement of cash by individuals.

2. Agreement on cooperation in ensuring epidemiological well-being of plague in bordering territories.

3. Agreement on cooperation in implementing international health regulations. 

4. Agreement on cooperation for coordinated development of border crossing points between the two countries.

5. Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation development in training and retraining of personnel in the transport sphere.

6. Memorandum on cooperation in shipbuilding sphere.

In the course of the talks, Ali Asadov noted that the  economic ties between the two countries have been actively developing. Azerbaijan is Russia's main trade partner in South Caucasus. Over the 10 months of the current year the mutual trade grew by more than 20% and totaled about $3 billion.

Over the 10 months of the current year the total volume of freight traffic between Azerbaijan and Russia rose by neasrly 22%. Transit traffic of Russian goods through Azerbaijan also increased considerably. Since the beginning of the year there has been 98% growth. Priority is given to the North-South international transport corridor, Asadov said.

In turn, Mishustin pointed out that the inter-governmental dialogue is aimed at promoting trade and economic cooperation, including the industrial cooperation, interaction in transport, energy and cultural and humanitarian spheres.

Recall that Russia is among the leading trade partners of Azerbaijan.

Suffice it to say that more than 900 joint ventures with Russian capital are operating in Azerbaijan. Some 300 of them are 100% Russian capital. Accordingly, Azerbaijani business today is expanding its presence in Russia.

"We should fully use advantageous geographic location of Russia and Azerbaijan in the center of Eurasia and the Caspian region, and actively develop transport and transit potential.

First of all, these include the creation of rail, road and sea infrastructure within the international transport corridor "North-South". It will connect Russia and Azerbaijan with the countries of the Persian Gulf, India, China, states of Africa, the Asia-Pacific region," Mishustin stressed.

"We attach special importance to the implementation of agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on unblocking economic and transport ties of the Transcaucasia. We are convinced that the implementation of new infrastructure projects is in the interests of all South Caucasus states," Mishustin noted.

Mishustin will be received today by head of state Ilham Aliyev. -02D-