Hollande: Azerbaijan's development can be exemplary for regional states

Azerbaijan's development can be exemplary for the regional countries, French President Francois Hollande said at the Azerbaijani-French business forum in Baku on May 12.

"First, I intended to discuss important political and other questions," Hollande said. "But at the same time, the perspectives and new areas of bilateral cooperation are one of the most important issues. We must determine such a strategy that would contribute to the permanent development of mutually beneficial cooperation."

French president said that Azerbaijan's development is obvious.

"Azerbaijan has achieved great success," he said. "The country was able to attract investments in energy sector, as well as transport, construction, infrastructure development. This can serve as an example to the entire region and the world. We will try to make the sources of this development more effective and efficiently use oil and gas resources."

"France sets the task of determining promising industrial sectors and directions," he said.

"Our task is to determine a promising industry, or a leading sphere," he said. "We prepared the projects on four or five such promising directions. We intend to implement these projects in cooperation with friendly countries. At the same time, France aims to establish long-term cooperation, especially with such young and developing countries as Azerbaijan."

"The trade relations between the two countries are at a high level," the French president said.

"The foreign trade turnover between our countries has doubled for the past year," he said. "It is about four percent of the total volume of Azerbaijan's foreign trade. France is the seventh country supplying its products to Azerbaijan. I believe that we have already achieved the set goals, but we can make new achievements. France must increase the volumes of both exports to Azerbaijan and imports of Azerbaijani products, but not only through the energy sector."

"At the ministerial level both sides should determine the areas in which Azerbaijan and France can benefit most of all," he added.

"Of course, I think that energy is one of these areas," the French president said.


/Trend/