TODAY.AZ / Society

Japan eyes ‘broader’ economic relations with Azerbaijan

23 April 2015 [18:10] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

An Azerbaijani delegation led by Ogtay Asadov, the parliamentary speaker, who has been on an official visit to Japan’s capital, Tokyo on April 19-25 has met with Azerbaijan-Japan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group on April 22.

Gursel Ismayilzade, Azerbaijani ambassador to Japan, Abel Maharramov, head of the Working Group on Azerbaijani Japanese inter-parliamentary ties, MPs Chingiz Asadullayev, Aslan Jafarov, as well as Safa Mirzayev, head of the Parliament`s Administration also attended the meeting.

Addressing the event, Akira Amari, the state minister for economic and fiscal policy expressed confidence that this visit would play an important role in strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Touching upon cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies, Asadov highlighted the role of the friendship group.

He wished success to the members of the Group, noting these relations will also contribute to closer cooperation between the two nations.

At a meeting held on the same day, Asadov met with Tadamori Oshima, the Japanese House of Representatives speaker. He highlighted the rich history of Azerbaijani-Japanese state relations.

Talking about several international projects currently implemented in Azerbaijan, including TAP, TANAP and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway projects, the speaker called on Japanese companies to invest in country's energy and other fields.

He also touched upon the causes and consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying the problem was a main obstacle to restoring regional peace.

Tadamori, in turn, said Japan eyes ‘broader’ economic relations with Azerbaijan. He said Japan supports a peaceful settlement of the conflict within the norms of international law.

During the visit Asadov also held a meeting with Masaaki Yamazaki, the President of the House of Councilors of Japan.

The speaker highlighted bilateral cooperation in humanitarian field, saying “Japanese language was taught at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, and Japanese higher schools now enroll about 20 Azerbaijani students.”

At the meeting in between the Azerbaijani speaker and Japan Emperor Akihito on April 20, the sides talked about the developing cooperation between the two countries.

Talking about international projects Asadov said “Important steps were taken to realize new projects for transport of Azerbaijani gas towards Europe”.

The speaker highlighted steadily developing relations between both countries in humanitarian field and said more than 100 students studied Japanese at Baku State University and Azerbaijan University of Languages.

The emperor expressed satisfaction with the interest of the Azerbaijani youth to Japan, saying “this will contribute to further development of relations between the two sides.”

On the same day Asadov met with Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan. The prime minister expressed satisfaction toward Japan's participation in the projects implemented in Azerbaijan and said the country alongside with Azerbaijan's energy potential is interested in many other fields.

Asadov noted that Japan invested $5 billion in Azerbaijan, thus calling Japan to participate in other fields alongside the oil sphere.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Japan were established in 1992. Relations between the two countries have continued to develop steadily. Japan was one of the first countries to support Azerbaijan's forward-looking oil strategy.

Today two major Japanese companies Itochu and Impex are involved in the Contract of the Century. Leaders of Japanese business, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Marubeni, and Sojits are involved in energy and infrastructure projects in the country.

Azerbaijan is considering further cooperation with Japan in the field of high technology, particularly in the field of manufacture of innovative production, with their further entering the regional markets.

So far, Japanese companies were involved mainly in projects in the energy sector, but in recent years their interests to cooperate in areas such as petrochemicals, oil refining, energy, medicine, high-tech and space industry have increased.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/140116.html

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