OREANDA-NEWS. August 17, 2009. On the third and last day of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers’ state visit to Azerbaijan, he continued to visit regional towns in Azerbaijan. After visiting Zaqatala and Sheki yesterday, today he visited Qebele, where he visited the city’s regional research museum. Afterward, the President was greeted by local residents. President Zatlers thanked them for their welcome and talked about his impressions about Azerbaijan’s regional cities. He received much applause. Then the President visited a local juice production plant, reported the Official website president.lv.

While in Azerbaijan, the President’s delegation also discussed the possibility of a partnership between Sheki and the Latvian town of Cesis. The mayors of the two towns talked about tourism, art and small and medium enterprises as areas in which there might be interests in common. Work began on a protocol of intent related to the new partnership.
 
After returning to Baku, President Zatlers once again met with the businesspeople who accompanied him on the state visit to talk about the results of the process and what needs to be done next to strengthen economic co-operation between Latvia and Azerbaijan. The President said that political relations cannot be kept apart from economic ones, because political relations are the foundation on which businesspeople can establish and develop their companies. Andris Ozols, head of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, thanked President Zatlers for his help in strengthening economic links. Ozols said that those companies which already were doing business in Azerbaijan improved their status during the visit, while those which were not established new contacts. The President asked the agency to file a report on the specific results of the visit in three to six months’ time, when the achievements will be more evident.
 
At the conclusion of his visit, President Zatlers met with Latvians who live and work in Azerbaijan to talk about relations between the two countries, as well as the lives of Latvians in this Caspian Sea country.