Rustam Minnikhanov meets Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov

On April 28, in the Kazan Kremlin, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov had a working meeting with Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov, who arrived on a working visit in Tatarstan to take part in the meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as participation in the opening of the business forum «Azerbaijan - Tatarstan».

Welcoming the guest, Minnikhanov emphasized that this visit will contribute to the development of cooperation aimed at strengthening the relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Minnikhanov stressed that Azerbaijan and Tatarstan, as a region of Russia, have great potential for expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation. Thus, Tatarstan and Azerbaijan signed an Agreement on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (dated 2006), and a Joint Intergovernmental Commission is operating, co-chairs of which are Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Oleg Korobchenko and Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov.

Speaking about international cooperation, Minnikhanov said that the consulates general of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have already been opened in Kazan. “We will be glad to consider our proposal to open the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Kazan”, he said. Today, direct flights are organized between Kazan and Baku (three times a week). According to the results of last year Tatarstan-Azerbaijan trade turnover exceeded 125 million U.S. dollars, with an increase to the previous period. Work is actively carried out by leading industrial enterprises and companies. Tatarstan exports agricultural, pharmaceutical, paper products, wood and its derivatives to Azerbaijan. In turn, oil products, minerals, fruit and vegetable products are imported from Azerbaijan. It is important to actively use transport and logistics opportunities of the Volga-Caspian basin, Minnikhanov underlined.

He also said that there were many opportunities for cooperation, primarily in the field of economics. It is planned to strengthen cooperation in energy and industry, automotive, helicopter and shipbuilding, petrochemistry, gas engine fuel, medicine, agriculture, informatization, development of special economic zones and logistics. “Our republic is open for investment, innovation, it is the entry point to the country's market for foreign companies,” the Rais of Tatarstan said.

He also invited Azerbaijani colleagues to take part in the International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum" on May 18-19 this year.