Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan sign 18 documents on expanding bilateral cooperation

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday signed 18 documents to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Visiting Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev took part in the signing ceremony following talks in the Azerbaijani capital Baku after the 2nd meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan Interstate Council.

According to an Azerbaijani presidential statement, the documents signed seek to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in fields such as health and medical science, energy, public service, education and science, migration, and exchange of statistical data in mutual trade.

“We have just signed documents that will in many respects predetermine the future development of our relations. Each of them is of great importance. I would like to particularly note the Joint Declaration we signed with Sadyr Nurgozhoevich,” Aliyev said at a press conference following the ceremony.

Expressing that the agenda of their talks is “quite extensive,” Aliyev said both parties held exchanges during meetings earlier in the day and that he is confident Japarov’s visit and its results “will be clearly visible.”

Aliyev further said he is very pleased that they are actively cooperating in the trade and economic sphere, and that there is a tendency to increase potential in this regard.

“An addendum to the agreement on the authorized fund of the Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz Development Fund was also signed today. We have quadrupled the authorized fund from $25 million to $100 million. The main reason is that there are a lot of applications,” he went on to say.

He also said both Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan are implementing large-scale transport projects, and that they should start consultations on transport routes “in order to make the route through the Caspian Sea, Central Asia to Europe attractive not only in terms of distance but also in terms of commercial viability.”

For his part, Japarov said that both parties signed a joint declaration on establishing “deep relations of strategic partnership.”

“In conclusion, I would like to emphasize our satisfaction with the outcomes of today's negotiations and the agreements reached. They clearly demonstrate the mutual desire of our states to develop close ties in all spheres and strengthen our friendly relations in every possible way in the interests of the peoples of the two countries,” he added.

Aliyev and Japarov later attended an unveiling ceremony of a monument to famous Kyrgyz novelist Chinghiz Aitmatov in Baku.