First meeting of AzerbaijanQatar Joint Commission held

Baku hosted the first meeting of Azerbaijan-Qatar Joint Economic, Trade and Technical Intergovernmental Commission on December 9. Azerbaijan’s Emergency Situations Minister, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, who is also a cochair of the Commission, addressing the meeting, said that the activity of the commission was aimed at further deepening of relations between the two countries.

Heydarov underlined the importance of specifying the potential of Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Qatar, mentioning the possibility of deepening dynamically developing relationships with the Arab country.

The members of the Commission, in turn, put forward proposals on developing economic, trade and technical bonds between the countries.

Heydarov earlier paid a visit to Qatar at the invitation of Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the sides hailed the high level of bilateral ties, mentioning a huge potential for the further deepening of the cooperation.

As part of his official visit, Heydarov also had a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, where the sides discussed the work of the committee, underlining its importance for the development of business relations, the increase of trade turnover and the expansion of investment opportunities.

Following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries in 1994, the key directions of cooperation have been determined as ties in the field of investment, the exchange of experience in the field of oil and gas, and supply of the Azerbaijani agricultural goods to the Qatar market. The energy industry is one of the most promising as the two countries are rich in their energy, oil and gas reserves.

Given the fact that Azerbaijan and Qatar has a simplified visa regime, close relations between the two countries in tourism sphere is also of utmost importance.

The two countries agreed to establish an intergovernmental commission this March, following the talks between the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was on his official visit to Baku.