Gold and currency reserves of Azerbaijan are comparable to the GDP of the country, the Vice-Speaker of the Milli Majlis (parliament) Valeh Aleskerov said Oct.10.

He made the remarks in Baku at a meeting of the Standing Commission of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly on culture, information, tourism and sport.

The program of the commission meeting will involve discussion of the model laws on e-government, cross-border information exchange of electronic documents, intergovernmental exchange of the special connection dispatch, volunteering, tourist activity, freedom of conscience, religion and religious organizations, the basics of Internet regulation.

A draft Convention on the conservation of cultural heritage of the CIS member states will also be developed.

“Azerbaijan is an independent state in all respects,” Aleskerov said. “It is a small country, but a great power. Gold and currency reserves of Azerbaijan are comparable to the country's GDP, and public external debt is only 8 percent of GDP.”

He also said that Azerbaijan is a country of the highest tolerance, which is proved by a large number of international events held in the country.

The committee chairman Yevgeny Tarlo was re-elected to his post during the meeting.

/Trend/