Aliiev will arrive in August

• 9.07.2012, 11:08

Ilham Aliyev is planning to travel to Belarus on an official visit in late August.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan Nikolai Patskevich told media about it on 9 July.

When asked about the agenda of the visit, Belarus’ Ambassador noted that Azerbaijan is working hard to develop the sectors of economy that are not connected with oil. “We are ready to suggest our solutions here. In this context our interests coincide. Our science has something to offer to Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev's forthcoming visit to Belarus will be dedicated to cooperation in innovations,” Nikolai Patskevich stressed.

In his words, the final program of the visit has not been confirmed yet. Yet Ilham Aliyev is expected to visit the High-Technology Park. Special attention will be given to scientific cooperation between the respective agencies of the two states.

A session of the intergovernmental commission, which will also be held in Minsk, will precede Ilham Aliyev’s visit. The session is set to review a number of issues regarding the bilateral cooperation.

Nikolai Patskevich noted that Belarus-Azerbaijan cooperation is based on production cooperation. Several facilities to assemble Belarusian engineering equipment already operate in Azerbaijan. Moreover, there are plans to create new joint ventures. In particular, there are plans to establish an assembly production center for innovative goods. In this area there are good prospects for cooperation within the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

The Ambassador also said that Belarus shipped the first batch of new MAZ buses to Azerbaijan. They are undergoing certification at the moment. An assembly factory that will produce this kind of machinery may be established in the future. Besides, there is a project to set up a facility to manufacture detachable equipment for agricultural machinery in Azerbaijan.