Belarus and Azerbaijan are expanding industrial cooperation in machine building, First Deputy Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko and First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yaqub Eyyubov said following the session of the Belarus-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation on 27 August, BelTA has learnt.
On 27 August the Azerbaijani delegation is set to visit Amkodor and sign a protocol of cooperation between this Belarusian company and Ganja Automobile Plant. Vladimir Semashko noted that the two companies will progress from the negotiating stage to the real industrial cooperation. At present Ganja Automobile Plant assembles Belarusian tractors with the output of 800 tractors per year. The plant also assembles MAZ trucks and other vehicles. Last year 650 machine sets were assembled. At present Azerbaijan needs even more vehicles, communal and road construction machines. This is why the industrial cooperation with Amkodor will be expanded.
First Deputy Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko believes that Belarus needs to supply technologies, all attached implements to tractors and vehicles as well as communal machines. Besides, the parties are going to step up cooperation in information technologies, space research, nano- and biotechnologies. Azerbaijan has demonstrated great interest in the Belarusian High Tech Park. The parties agreed to hold a scientific forum in Minsk not later than the first quarter of 2013. "We plan to reach specific agreements, discuss joint solutions, including in space technologies, and communicate best practices," Vladimir Semashko said.
The Belarus-Azerbaijan trade has certain particularities. Last year the bilateral trade exceeded $1 billion on the back of oil supplies. There were no oil supplies this year. Nevertheless, the trade is increasing across the major commodities by 10-20%.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yaqub Eyyubov noted that the session of the commission has been held in the run-up to the visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Belarus. "Our countries have developed good, friendly relations in economy, politics and culture," he said.
The next session of the intergovernmental commission will be held in Baku in 2013.

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