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22 March 2017

By Azad Hasanli – Trend

Ukraine and Azerbaijan should develop cooperation on joint production in chemical industry, pharmaceutics, shipbuilding, aircraft and machine building, said Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv in an exclusive interview with Trend.

Kubiv noted that Azerbaijan is a strategically important partner of Ukraine and this was confirmed by statements and meetings of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman with the Azerbaijani delegation led by Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev in Kyiv.

The Azerbaijani delegation visited Ukraine on March 13-14.

"Activation of cooperation between our countries is very timely, because Ukraine and Azerbaijan haven’t yet fully realized the potential of cooperation. Over the past several years, the volume of mutual trade declined and in 2016 it didn’t exceed even $300 million, but now we are actively working to restore and expand the range of trade and economic cooperation," noted Kubiv.

During the meeting with the Azerbaijani delegation, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman positively assessed Shahin Mustafayev’s proposal to establish Azerbaijan’s trade house in Kyiv, he said, adding, "This should strengthen trade cooperation between our countries".

Kubiv said that along with the abovementioned areas Ukraine intends to expand cooperation in the agro-industrial sector and on food supplies to Azerbaijan.

"Of course, we are also interested in further deliveries of Azerbaijani oil to Ukrainian refineries and to European countries through our territory," added the first deputy PM.

"Taking into account the strengthening competition in world markets, it is important for the two countries to establish cooperation, search for ways to create conditions that will increase their own and joint competitive opportunities in foreign markets," he said.

"Global trends dictate the need to use high-tech production, which will allow creating products with high added value. Global production chains, often involving several countries simultaneously, are important," noted Kubiv.

Therefore, it is needed for Ukraine and Azerbaijan to establish cooperation in several directions: from trade and economic to scientific and technical sphere by improving and expanding the foundation of cooperation, he added.

"We plan to hold a joint forum in Baku," said Kubiv, adding that Kyiv will also soon host the 12th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation.