The President of Azerbaijan made the statement first, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.
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Statement by President Ilham Aliyev
– Honorable Mr. Prime Minister,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I sincerely welcome you.
I am very pleased that Mr. Prime Minister is our guest today. We met three months ago in Davos. That was our first meeting, and it was very productive; we exchanged views on many issues. I invited Mr. Prime Minister on an official visit to Azerbaijan, and I am glad that this visit is taking place today. This demonstrates the dynamic development of relations between the two countries. We now have a very active political dialogue. Today, an exchange of views was held on many issues, including those of a regional, bilateral, and global nature.
There are concrete proposals regarding the work to be done in the economic sphere. I am glad that a large group of businesspeople from the Czech Republic has come to Azerbaijan together with the Prime Minister, and at the business forum to be held today, new contacts will be established and views will be exchanged on existing projects. Our strong expectation is to raise our trade turnover to an even higher level. Even so, our trade turnover has already increased significantly and stands at over 800 million dollars. However, if we look at its structure, we see that it mainly consists of Azerbaijani oil exports. Therefore, we aim for the trade turnover to be more balanced and for its structure to be improved. I hope we will achieve this, as many specific economic and investment-oriented projects were discussed today, both in the one-on-one meeting and in negotiations with delegations.
Naturally, a large part of our cooperation pertains to the energy sector. In this field as well, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan have been very reliable partners for many years. Azerbaijani oil is exported to the Czech Republic and occupies an important place in the Czech energy balance. Azerbaijan is among the reliable countries exporting its energy resources to global markets. This is also noted by the European Union, which evaluates Azerbaijan as a reliable partner. Today, Azerbaijani gas is exported to 16 countries, 10 of which are members of the European Union. Furthermore, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to countries neighboring the Czech Republic. Naturally, we discussed this today as well and reached an understanding regarding future cooperation in this field. We view this through a broader lens; it will not merely be trade operations or energy resource export operations. We view it as large-scale, long-term cooperation.
Another important area of cooperation between our countries is the defense industry. Successful cooperation has been carried out here for a long time as well. We purchase many military-grade products from the Czech Republic, and at the current stage, negotiations are underway on specific projects regarding joint production. I am confident that this field will also be large-scale. Azerbaijan ensures its defense potential, including through local production, and in the future, our joint efforts with countries such as the Czech Republic, which has extensive experience in this field, will be of particular importance.
An exchange of views was also held today regarding many other areas. Discussions were also held on the Intergovernmental Commission holding an event and meeting again soon. In short, friendship and cooperation between the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan are reaffirmed once again today, and excellent prospects are opening before us.
Mr. Prime Minister, once again, welcome to Azerbaijan.
x x x
Then, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic made the statement.
Statement by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš
– Mr. President,
I am very grateful to you for receiving me so warmly here at your residence. I truly value this highly, and it is a great honor for me. I am glad that we are continuing our conversation following Davos.
I can declare here that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the Czech Republic. For this reason, I am pleased that our relations are also built on friendship. It is clear that Azerbaijan is at the center of the world’s attention. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was here, and Giorgia Meloni will visit next. This simply demonstrates once again the importance of your beautiful country.
The meeting we held today was very special. Of course, Europe is talking about energy today because raw materials are required for refineries, and natural gas is needed for the production of various products. Azerbaijan is the largest oil supplier to the Czech Republic. Forty-two percent of our imported oil comes from Azerbaijan.
Mr. President, we have come here with our semi-state company called ČEZ, and they wish to sign a contract regarding gas supplies from here. You will primarily be increasing production. The CEO of the ČEZ company is here. He would, of course, be very pleased if he could sign a long-term contract with you for gas supply through ČEZ, which is one of the largest gas distribution companies. Thus, in addition to oil, Azerbaijan can de facto become our strategic partner in this field as well.
I am very glad that you have proposed holding a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, and I believe we have already learned of the appointment to the commission from your side. From our side, it will be First Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček, and he will cover all the issues we have discussed.
Of course, energy is extremely important for us. It is also important for Europe to understand: some of its directives are, in fact, harming non-European suppliers, and it is not good for us to have only two gas suppliers in Europe. In short, we are interested in that supply and, I believe, we are ready to sign long-term contracts.
The most important Czech companies are with us, and in total, 50 companies are represented in our delegation. Of course, we have a very great interest in signing a contract with the Baku Metro. ŠKODA Transportation is part of our country’s – and perhaps the region’s – largest economic group, the PPF Group. That group, along with other companies, is ready to establish a joint venture, begin production in Azerbaijan, invest in science and research, cooperate with your universities, and, of course, work with your people. We know that China is ahead of us, but we are very capable, and this is historically in our blood. Czechoslovakia was one of the ten most industrialized countries in the world, and I am sure we could be a capital. Czechoslovak Group is already active here, and of course, as a joint venture, we are producing our own products.
The Aero Vodochody company currently provides, de facto, service and repairs for outdated L-39 aircraft. Of course, we are presenting the new L-39NG aircraft to you, and we would be very pleased if you would evaluate it. The ‘Colt’ company is, in the true sense of the word, a significant international company; it supplies its excellent products all over the world, and we are glad that your police and other forces are already familiar with those products.
In short, we will discuss this today at the business forum. Of course, we have other options as well. You mentioned your company that is active in freight transport here, and we are naturally interested in that. We also noted one fact: we discussed a new project in Karlovy Vary and would like the airport and its runway to be expanded. Thus, this could be a new strategically important airport in the Czech Republic in which we invest. Consequently, it could contribute to tourism and development between our countries. In short, we discussed many issues today.
I am very pleased with all of this. I have very good feelings. Our conversation was special, and naturally, we spoke about the general situation in the world. However, today we have come here to accelerate and intensify our economic relations. The number of these projects is large. We are ready; we will be fast and agile.
I am very grateful for the time you have allocated and for the opportunity to visit your country. Thank you for the excellent reception. I truly value all of this highly.
