French State Secretary in Baku to Discuss Cooperation Issues

Azerbaijan and France make fruitful cooperation in various fields, and there is potential for expansion of these ties. This was said by the French Ambassador to Baku Aurelia Boucher meeting with a group of Azerbaijani journalists on 19 November.

She noted that in Azerbaijan there are 40 French companies, and Azerbaijan ranks second among the CIS countries in terms of investment from France.

Among the CIS countries Azerbaijan holds the 7^th place in terms of trade relations. In the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan is the first economic partner of France. Among the prospects of cooperation the Ambassador also called energy, transport, reconstruction of urban infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and innovation.

French companies have already modernized the Baku subway, and ensure the supply of modern buses Iveco.

France has made great strides in the development of environmentally friendly forms of transport and cooperation in this area is the subject of the discussion.

The French company Suez is working with Azersu on the introduction of water treatment technologies.

Boucher pointed to the great potential in the field of tourism at the level of cities and municipalities

These issues will be one of the topics of discussions during the visit of the French Secretary of State on Territorial Reform Andre Vallini to Azerbaijan on November 25-27.

Boucher also noted with satisfaction the development of relations in the field of culture and education. Baku has already opened the French Lyceum. The French language is the third most popular foreign language and is studied by about 80,000 people in Azerbaijan now. -06C--