OREANDA-NEWS. November 18, 2009. The strategic objective of Belarus and Azerbaijan is to pursue new large-scale joint projects which would result in a dramatic increase in bilateral trade, said President Alexander Lukashenko in the course of his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan, reported the Official website president.gov.by.

The President of Azerbaijan is currently in Belarus on an official visit. The two leaders held talks in one-on-one format and then with broader participation. A number of joint documents were signed .

Opening the one-on-one meeting, Alexander Lukashenko pointed to the effectiveness of the bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce with Azerbaijan. Over the past several years the countries have achieved a nearly eleven-fold increase in commerce. Last year the bilateral trade turnover surpassed US111 million.

In January-September 2009 it made up US 94 million, with Belarus’ exports amounting to US 91.1 million of that sum. The two countries have identified the avenues of cooperation in which they advance fast, create joint companies, advance into new markets together. Belarus and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their intention to develop joint projects and advance to the markets of third countries with them. The President of Belarus was pleased to note that all the agreements reached at the top level have always been carried out effectively.

At the same time, the Belarusian leader believes the two countries have not yet fully exploited their potential in bilateral cooperation. ‘It could take merely 2-3 years for such countries as ours to reach the level of mutual trade equalling US 500 million,’ said Alexander Lukashenko. He paid special attention to the fact that even in this crisis year Belarus and Azerbaijan have shown good trends in their mutual trade and reported a growth in goods turnover.

The President of Belarus has assured the Azerbaijani side that all the agreements undertaken by the Belarusian side will be strictly carried out. He has also pointed out that he intends to discuss with Ilham Aliyev many issues of bilateral cooperation, tell him about the recent meetings with the representatives of the European Union and the leadership of Ukraine.

The President of Azerbaijan pointed to the dynamic and effective growth of the bilateral ties. Belarus and Azerbaijan have been working hard in a prompt manner to carry out all the agreements reached that the top level, carry them out effectively and well. This fact contributes to the mutual trust between the countries and opens new cooperation prospects, said Ilham Aliyev.